When it comes to weirdness in the natural world, the tumbleweed has to be right up there. This bit of freaky biology run amok has inspired everything from sport to mythology to gourmet cooking. So maybe it’s fitting that the tumbleweed has come to symbolize the American West. (To read the full text, click on the “View a PDF from the original” link below, or download a PDF of the entire issue: http://country-survey-collabs.info/issues/21.13/download-entire-issue%3C/a%3E.%29

This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Tumbleweeds triumphant.

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