Cycloloma
Encyclopedia
Cycloloma is a monotypic genus which contains the sole species Cycloloma atriplicifolium, which is known by the common name
s winged pigweed, tumble ringwing, plains tumbleweed, and tumble-weed. This plant is native to central North America, but it is spreading and has been occasionally reported in far-flung areas from California
to Maine
to the Canadian prairie. It is considered an introduced species
outside of central North America. This is a bushy annual herb forming a rounded pale green clump which may exceed half a meter in height. It is very intricately branched, with toothed leaves occurring near the base. The spreading stems bear widely-spaced flowers are small immature fruits fringed with a nearly transparent membranous wing. In autumn, the plant forms a tumbleweed
. The fruit is a utricle
about 2 millimeters long containing a single seed. The seeds were eaten as a food staple by Native American peoples including the Zuni and Hopi
.
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
s winged pigweed, tumble ringwing, plains tumbleweed, and tumble-weed. This plant is native to central North America, but it is spreading and has been occasionally reported in far-flung areas from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
to the Canadian prairie. It is considered an introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
outside of central North America. This is a bushy annual herb forming a rounded pale green clump which may exceed half a meter in height. It is very intricately branched, with toothed leaves occurring near the base. The spreading stems bear widely-spaced flowers are small immature fruits fringed with a nearly transparent membranous wing. In autumn, the plant forms a tumbleweed
Tumbleweed
A tumbleweed is the above-ground part of a plant that, once mature and dry, disengages from the root and tumbles away in the wind. Usually, the tumbleweed is the entire plant apart from the roots, but in a few species it is a flower cluster. The tumbleweed habit is most common in steppe and desert...
. The fruit is a utricle
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
about 2 millimeters long containing a single seed. The seeds were eaten as a food staple by Native American peoples including the Zuni and Hopi
Hopi
The Hopi are a federally recognized tribe of indigenous Native American people, who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Hopi area according to the 2000 census has a population of 6,946 people. Their Hopi language is one of the 30 of the Uto-Aztecan language...
.