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bardofely
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Location: Playa San Marcos, Tenerife
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 Post subject: Cornical - a relative of the Milkweed |
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Cornical (Periploca laevigata) can often be seen twining over clumps of other vegetation and anything it can scramble up on wasteground and dry malpais areas, and it has a special liking for climbing over the Cardón (Euphorbia canariensis) cactus-like endemic spurge often found in these places too.
Cornical is related to the Milkweeds that Monarch butterfly caterpillars eat but unfortunately they will not feed on this species. It has a distinctive pointed seedpod like all members of the Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed family).
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Tue Jan 29, 2008 10:36 am
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funky
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Joined: 22 Feb 2006
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Location: He's behind you ........
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Any idea what specific ingredient or chemical in regular Milkweed attracts the catapillars in the first place? If so, some scientist probably could figure out how to replicate it closely enough to satisfy the catapillars? Or you could just start a 'milkweed farm'. That's sure to get you back in the papers again 
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My Paranoia-Management Therapy is going great! Now they're only watching me half the time.... |
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Thu Jan 31, 2008 6:29 pm
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bardofely
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Joined: 22 Dec 2004
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Location: Playa San Marcos, Tenerife
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| funky wrote: | | Any idea what specific ingredient or chemical in regular Milkweed attracts the catapillars in the first place? If so, some scientist probably could figure out how to replicate it closely enough to satisfy the catapillars? Or you could just start a 'milkweed farm'. That's sure to get you back in the papers again |
The caterpillars don't select it - the mother butterfly has to and here she has a difficult task because she has up to 300 eggs to lay and is supposed to only lay one or two per plant. Unfortunately because hardly any gardens and parks grow the plants the ones that are growing get overwhelmed with caterpillars and there is not enough food. I have been advising a friend who has just had this problem to try slicing up the stems because they can eat them if they are thinly cut.
In America where the butterfly originates there are many different species of milkweed which can be eaten by Monarch caterpillars, however, most of these are having a hard time due to major changes to the countryside. People over there have started Monarch conservation groups and websites devoted to the subject of helping the butterflies.
Milkweed farms do exist there to sell the plants and seeds to butterfly conservationists. I have wondered if garden centres here could sell the plants and seeds with the selling line of grow this flower and attract beautiful butterflies to your garden or terrace.
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Thu Jan 31, 2008 6:52 pm
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