Cynanchum

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On the way back from my discovery of meadow parasol on July 3rd, I discovered that on the outward-bound portion of my hike through the Bull Creek Nature Preserve I’d walked right past a plant that I have seen before, but only a couple of times. It’s Cynanchum barbigerum, a delicate vine (some call it thicket threadvine) in the milkweed family, and this one had plenty of small flowers on it.

I’ll add that the vine has a rather unpleasant smell that might be described as rubbery or fishy, much like the odor of the pearl milkweed vine that’s a lot more common in central Texas. Notice the mature pod, quite svelte, which I estimate was about an inch and a quarter to an inch and a half long. Note also the pale spider in what seems to be a defensive position near the lower right corner of the photograph; I didn’t even see it at the time I took the picture.

© 2013 Steven Schwartzman