In every film about the Wild West, a mandatory attribute is a frame where a dried bunch of grass rolls across the desert, resembling a soccer ball in shape. However, this grass has a lot of unusual features that allow it to survive in the middle of a vast desert.
How does the tumbleweed appear
Tumbleweed appears in a desert or semi-desert area. Its life cycle begins with the germination of the seed of the plant, which will serve as the basis for the ball. Most often, this function is performed by Maximovich rhubarb, medicinal asparagus and certain dicotyledonous flowers found in arid climates.
Appearing in the middle of the sands, the plant rapidly grows in size, covered with flowers already 4-5 days after germination. Its roots actively draw moisture from the soil. After a while, the stem gradually falls to the ground, the plant begins to wither.
Interesting fact: Maximovich’s rhubarb extracts moisture from the ground using the greenhouse effect. Its leaves are close to the soil, which is why drops of water condense on their lower side, which are gradually absorbed by the plant.
After the wilting process is completed, the stem is separated from the root, and the plant, which is no longer chained to the ground, begins to move in space due to air currents. Gradually, the plant rolls into a ball and stiffens. Branches and leaves of other plants can fall into it, which become part of the tumbleweed and increase its size.
Use of tumbleweed
Grass balls are not only a props for filming westerns, but also bring benefits. Moving through the desert, they help other plants to spread their seeds over large areas. When a tumbleweed, moving in the wind, hits a flowering plant, its seeds can fall inside a ball and fly out a few kilometers later. If the conditions are favorable, they will take root.
Tumbleweeds can serve as food for animals if they experience a lack of food. Herbivores catch a ball, eat the most delicious out of it and throw it away, after which it continues the journey. Also in the past, many desert tribes used nomadic clumps for medicinal purposes. Dried grass was allowed to be chewed by livestock, after which it was applied to insect bites. It was believed that tumbleweed has healing properties and is able to neutralize poison.
