Asclepias \As*cle"pi*as\, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?, named from
Asclepios or Aesculapius.] (Bot.)
A genus of plants including the milkweed, swallowwort, and
some other species having medicinal properties.
{Asclepias butterfly} (Zo["o]l.), a large, handsome, red and
black butterfly ({Danais Archippus}), found in both
hemispheres. It feeds on plants of the genus Asclepias.