Funastrum cynanchoides facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Funastrum cynanchoides
Scientific classification
Genus:	Funastrum
Species:	cynanchoides
Synonyms
Sarcostemma cynanchoides Decne.

Funastrum cynanchoides, also known as fringed twinevine, twining milkweed, or climbing milkweed, is a special plant that lives for many years. It belongs to the Apocynaceae family, which is also called the dogbane family. This plant grows by wrapping itself around other plants in the Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert. It has a milky liquid inside its stems and leaves, and it has a strong smell.

About the Fringed Twinevine

The fringed twinevine is a type of plant that comes back year after year. It's known for its long, winding stems. These stems help it climb and spread across the desert landscape.

Where It Lives

This plant likes to grow on the edges of dry riverbeds in the desert. You can find it in places like the eastern Mojave Desert and the Sonoran Desert. It usually grows in areas that are below 2,000 feet in elevation.

How It Grows

The fringed twinevine is a climbing plant. It uses its long, flexible stems to twine around other shrubs and plants. In towns, it can even climb on fences. It loves to grow over anything it can find to support itself.

Its Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of the fringed twinevine are shaped like narrow arrowheads. They grow in pairs, one across from the other, along the stem. Each leaf is about 1 to 1.5 inches long.

The flowers are a pretty pink to purplish color. They grow in groups that look like tiny umbrellas. These flowers are very popular with butterflies. Butterflies often visit them to feed, just like they do with other milkweed plants.

Its Fruits and Seeds

After the flowers bloom, the plant grows a fruit. This fruit is long, usually about 3 to 4 inches. Inside the fruit are seeds. Each seed is about 1.4 inches long and has a fluffy tuft of hairs. These hairs help the seeds float away in the wind.

Images for kids

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  A Danaus butterfly on a fringed twinevine flower.