Show milkweeds Milk weeds poisonous sometimes kill stock whorled milkweeds milk weeds ds are poisonous to live stock and sometimes cause losses among horses cattle and sheep whorled milkweeds milk weeds have slender stalks the leaves are narrow and are from two to three inches long they develop in clusters or whorls of several needlelike leaves around the stalk the flowers are of greenish white the botanists name for this weed is common milkweeds milk weeds have a heavier stalk than the whorled variety the leaves are comparatively broad oblong in shape and placed on opposite sides of the stalk the flowers are of a rose purple the botanical name is cyriaca sy the swamp variety is known botanically as incarnata in camata it has a larger deeper hued blossom than the common milkweed milkweeds Milk weeds are deeply rooted perennial plants producing seeds in pods with a flossliee flos material inside the pods the pods of the cornmon common milkweed are larger than those of the whorled or swamp milkweed |