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How do tumbleweeds scatter their seeds across open land?
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Tumbleweeds, also known as chamaechores, scatter their seeds through a specialized form of wind dispersal. Once the plant reaches maturity, the entire plant or its fruiting portion breaks away from its roots.12
This detached structure forms a light, rolling mass that is driven across open land by the wind. As the tumbleweed rolls across the terrain, it gradually scatters its seeds along its path. Common examples of plants that utilize this dispersal method include Russian thistle, pigweed, and tumbling mustard.21