Oh, I found it in a book called "The Magic and Medicine of Plants" which I recommend highly.

Oh, that sounds good. I'll have to check it out and see if I can get it on half.com or something. I'm a bit of an amateur botanist. I almost majored in botany actually, but was dissuaded by a certain college professor who didn't believe girls belonged in that department. But that's another story.

I just looked up Asclepias syriaca L. and I see that it's called "common milkweed". The leaves are broader than on the plants in my garden. And the pods seem to hang on a lot more prominently as well. Seems well endowed for sure.

http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=ASCSYR

Do you have this species in your garden, belMarduk? If you'd be interested in the species I have here, I'd be happy to mail some seeds to you. (Though is that allowed between here and Québec?)