A clonal, succulent-like plant that dominates pockets of deeper soil. Skyline suena is an aggressive competitor: many stems share a single, extensive root system that lets the plant monopolize scarce substrate and water.

Etymology

Unknown.

Morphology

Columnar stems in groups of four or more emerging from one broad, buried rootstock. Outer rind is hard and leathery; the interior is unusually watery and translucent. Flowers small and inconspicuous.

Physiology

Mechanisms

Spreads clonally by the shared root system. Heavy local root competition allows skyline suena to “drain” neighboring plants.

Behavior

Life Cycle

Growth is seasonal – rapid expansion in wet seasons, dormancy in drought/heat. Individual stems senesce while the shared root produces new stems.

Social Structure

Where it forms thickets, it strongly alters local plant communities.

Ecology

Human disturbance (digging, root fragmentation) increases local spread.