Sarcostemma hirtellum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sarcostemma hirtellum |
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Sarcostemma
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S. hirtellum
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| Sarcostemma hirtellum (A. Gray)-Schltr.
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Funastrum hirtellum |
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Sarcostemma hirtellum, also known as rambling milkweed or hairy milkweed, is a special type of plant that grows like a vine. It's a perennial plant, which means it lives for many years, not just one season. You can find it in the desert areas of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. This includes places like southeastern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, Sonora, and Baja California.
This plant is part of the milkweed family, called Apocynaceae, and it belongs to a group of climbing milkweeds known as Sarcostemma.
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What is Rambling Milkweed?
Rambling milkweed is a fascinating plant that loves to climb. Its scientific name is Sarcostemma hirtellum, but most people call it rambling milkweed or hairy milkweed. It's a vine, which means it grows by wrapping itself around other plants or objects.
Where Does It Grow?
This plant is perfectly suited for desert life. It thrives in the mid- to lower-elevation desert regions. This means it can handle the hot, dry conditions found in places like Arizona and California. It's a native plant to these areas, meaning it has grown there naturally for a very long time.
How Rambling Milkweed Grows
Rambling milkweed can be a very strong and fast-growing plant. It's sometimes called an "opportunistic" species. This means if it finds a good spot to start growing, it can quickly take over. It might even grow so much that it covers the plants it's climbing on.
However, if the plants it's climbing on are also strong and can compete well, then both the milkweed and the other plants can continue to grow together. It's like a friendly competition in the plant world!
Plant Parts and Appearance
The vines of the rambling milkweed are green and don't have many leaves. What's cool is that the green vines themselves can make food from sunlight, just like leaves do! This process is called photosynthesis.
Flowers and Seeds
In the spring, usually in early to mid-spring, you can see its flowers. They grow in clusters that look like a circle or half-globe. Each cluster can have 7 to 13 or more small flowers, and each flower is about 3/8 of an inch big. When there are lots of flowers, they can be quite noticeable and pretty!
Later in the year, after the flowers are gone and the vines have dried up, you might see the dried seedpods. These seedpods are very important because they help you identify the plant. They stay on the plant for months, even after the rest of the vine has dried out.
Another way to tell if rambling milkweed is around is by how many vines you see. If you see many vines covering other plants, it's a good sign that this milkweed is growing there.
