Arizona Swallowwort
Cynanchum arizonicum
Drawn from live specimen observed in the Goldfield Mountains, Maricopa County, Arizona.
VINE: Twining green stems use other plants as scaffold. The specimen
from which the illustration was made grew upon a small saguaro cactus and was
nearly engulfing it in growth. Broken stems exude copious white sap.
LEAVES: Leaves are narrow and somewhat thickened/fleshy. Margins may be revolute.
RANGE: Eastern portions of Sonoran Desert ranging into the Chihuahuan. Normally not very common and hard to find.
FRUIT: Fleshy, elongate pod eventually dries and splits to reveal seeds with silky hairs.
FLOWERS: Small inconspicuous flowers with yellow-white petals. Often
flowers occur singly in the leaf axils.
UNARMED