Tumbleweed, is a plant of the genus Hogweed in the family Quinoa.

Russian tumbleweed is an annual herb, 10 to 100 centimeters tall, a semishrub or shrub. It is hispid and papillose with small protuberances. Stem erect, rarely ascending, branched from near base, branches arcuate, near ground part occasionally prostrate. Leaves alternate, sessile, blade filiform or narrowly linear, less than 1 mm wide, nonfleshy, base not swollen, terminal spine less than 1.5 mm. Cylindrical, semiterete, sparsely barred, apex obtusely rounded or spinelike-pointed, base usually extended, sometimes decurrent.

Inflorescence usually spikelike, sometimes paniculate; 1-flowered, rarely 2 or 3-flowered transversely, flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, solitary or clustered in bract axils; bracts alternately ripening, not imbricate, reflexed; bracteoles 2; perianth conical, 5-parted, perianth segments prominent, ovate-lanceolate or momentarily orbicular, introrse, membranous, later hardened, glabrous or pilose, fruiting with a transverse spreading from middle of back. Fruiting with transverse spreading, membranous winglike appendages from middle of abaxial surface, wings sometimes rudimentary or coriaceous, verrucose protuberances; tepals above wings, inflexed, enveloping fruit, usually apically aggregated into a cone; stamens usually 5; filaments flattened, subulate or narrowly striate; anthers rectangular-orbicular, apically appendaged, appendages acutely or obtusely rounded apically, variously shaped or very small; ovary broadly ovate or globose, apex basally compressed; styles long or very short; Stigmas 2, subulate or filiform, erect or recurved, inner surface with small papillae. Perianth ca. 4 to 10 mm in diam.

Fruit a utricle, globose, pericarp membranous or succulent-fleshy; seeds transverse, oblique or erect; embryo spiraled, without endosperm.

Born in river valley sands, deserts, gravelly Gobi, roadsides, cultivated land, sandy beaches along coasts and riverbanks. Distributed in Eurasia, invading Central America, South America, Africa, Australia. Vertical growth height is 0 to 2500 meters above sea level.

Tumbleweeds are the most effective seed dispersers. The round ball shape of tumbleweeds allows them to roll and bounce over all the ground, leaving seeds along the way with each bounce and roll.

But tumbleweeds have a weakness: they go where the wind blows. Some pests will hitchhike and join tumbleweeds in new places to harm the area.

Unless shielded by fences, gutters, cornfields, buildings, dry irrigation canals, or by windbreaks, tumbleweeds will be blown along by the wind. Eventually it will form dry balls the size of a car! Because the tumbleweed is dried out by the sun before it rolls, and because the stuff is thorny and takes up space, it's inefficient to haul it away in trucks and trailers.