Central Asia's deserts, such as Karakum, possess a diverse range of fauna and flora, despite the harsh climatic conditions. Some plants thrive in these conditions and rely on the wind for their growth. Pirli Kebpanov, the Director of the National Institute of Deserts, Flora, and Fauna at the Ministry of Environment Protection of Turkmenistan, and a Biology candidate, recently published an article in Neutral Turkmenistan about these specific plants.

Different types of flora also use environmental factors, for example, wind, with the help of which plants are pollinated and distribute fruits and seeds. Many similar plants grow in the deserts of Turkmenistan: sedge, astragalus, calligonum, sand acacia, white and black saxaul, tamarix and others. In the process of evolution, all of them have developed special outgrowths-devices on their fruits that improve their flying properties.

Nature is incredibly inventive in its manifestations. In the process of long evolution or historical development, various characteristics appeared in plants as a result of mutations. If they turned out to be useless for the existence of organisms, they gradually disappeared. Those that helped survive were consolidated, strengthened and passed on by inheritance. The characteristics that we currently see in various desert or mountain plants in their external and internal structure are the result of natural selection.

Plants in harsh and arid conditions require assistance to grow and spread their fruits and seeds. The Karakum region experiences short weather conditions, and wind plays a crucial role in the pollination and distribution of fruits and seeds. Flora in Turkmenistan's deserts, such as sedge, astragalus, calligonum, sand acacia, white and black saxaul, and tamarix, have developed specialized outgrowths on their fruits to improve their ability to fly, through the process of evolution.

Certain characteristics are commonly found in plants that grow in sandy areas, known as psammophytes. For instance, the Ammodendron Konollyi plant has curved fruits that are transformed into a lanceolate leaflet. When these leaflets separate from the plant, they are picked up by the wind, which causes them to rotate around their axis and get carried across the sand. Many plants also have bubble-shaped fruits that are filled with air, giving them a sense of "airiness". The fruits of the Smirnowia turkestana plant weigh only 0.17 grams, so they can be easily moved by the wind. The Carex physodes plant has hollow, sac-like bracts, which are elongated balloon-like structures that are about two centimeters long and almost weightless. They can easily roll over a flat sand surface even in a weak wind, and in a strong wind, they become jumping and, together with aeolian material, can move over considerable distances. Furthermore, these bubble fruits are lighter than the sand mass and are rarely covered with sand “overhead.” They remain on the surface, which is necessary for germination.

The Karakum desert is home to Calligonum, kandym, or zhuzgun shrubs that move along sandy hilly surfaces. Each seed is surrounded by elastic threads forming a ball that can move at the speed of the wind or even fly. Agriophyllum minus and A. latifolium are round plants that grow up to one meter in height and diameter. They belong to the Chenopodiaceae family and form a tumbleweed shape. Once dried, they detach from the stem and roll over long distances, spreading seeds. Some plants have highly branched stems and twigs that bend inward, compacting the green mass.

Inflorescences can sometimes be volatile, such as in the ferula plant. When the seeds ripen, the plant dries out and the roundish inflorescence breaks off almost at ground level. This makes it easy for the wind to carry it forward, and as the seeds roll, they gradually fall out and disperse. Both annual shrubs and perennials that live for decades can form such balls. Annuals usually have weak roots that sit shallow in the ground, so a strong wind can easily uproot the plant and carry it to a new location. There, the sprouts of life will awaken next year.

Tumbleweeds are not only found in deserts. There are spherical plants that grow on mountain slopes, such as the Eryngium bungei and Centaurea pseudosquarrosa. When the time comes, they detach from their place and roll down to the base of the mountain, scattering small seeds around them as they fall. In addition to these mountain tumbleweeds, the Karakum Desert is home to plants like Salsola paulsenii and S. sclerantha, Crambe edentula, Ceratocarpus utriculosus, and Gypsophila diffusa which also form similar "balls". In regions with relatively flat soil surfaces, these traveling balls can interlock with each other to cover quite significant distances.

Many types of plants, both large and small, have seeds that can be carried by the wind. Some examples of such plants are the black and white saxaul, Salsola paletzkiana, Salsola Richteri (cherkez), and Climacoptera. These plants have seeds that are surrounded by a thin, round border-wing. This wing can be either dense and opaque or light and thin. The shape of the wing is similar to that of a bee and resembles a tiny "flying saucer". The center of gravity of this wing coincides with its geometric center. Therefore, in strong winds, these seeds rotate around their axis and can travel long distances. Even in the absence of wind, these seeds can glide slowly, falling from a great height and making curves in different directions, before landing at some distance from their parent plant. This distance is enough for a new sprout to appear.