Tetragonia fruticosa dry seed pericarps

Tetragonia fruticosa seed container bodies, the pericarps, retain this samara type winged structure of the fruits. Still conspicuous when dried out, the wings are by now desiccated, but still firm. Their colour is brown, dark brown and may even be black eventually. There is only one seed per fruit. The structure is indehiscent, not opening when ripe.

Wind might disperse it some distance through the air when the stalk breaks off. Or some wind assisted rolling across the sands may take it to a final resting place in tumbleweed fashion. Where a new plant may spend a lifetime.