Misty swallowwort seed

The mists thickened overnight and gave way to a steady, warm rain, and there was even the chance for a thunderstorm or two during this continuing stretch of October weather in December. What with the holidays, the start of physical therapy for my wrist, and a spate of writing projects... to say nothing of the wet weather, it's been hard to stick to my daily natural history walking schedule. But I did manage a brief trek into the murk and "harvested" a very wet seed sent on its way from a Black Swallowwort pod. Like the milkweeds to which Cynanchum louiseae is related, the plants equip their seeds with parachutes that catch the wind and enable once and perhaps future swallowworts to colonize new territory. Unfortunately, this native of Europe is all too proficient at colonization and is a terribly invasive species in the Northeast. At least these seeds appear to be grounded: good for surrounding areas, not so good for me, since this potential Cynanchum louiseae is in my garden.