Ask the Expert: What is this mysterious pod? A friend just found these pods in a shrub around her Southern Illinois house. Each pod is about four inches long. Any clue as to what they are??? Suzanne Plant Expert Reply: This seed pod stumped me. It looked familiar, yet not enough for me to make an identification. Lucky for me, I knew someone who could help. I forwarded the picture to Dr Jeremie Fant at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Here is Jeremie's response: To me it looks like a milkweed pod but the plant itself seems to be a vine of some type. There is a climbing milkweed species Funastrum cynanchoides. (http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=FUCYC) - Not seen one in person but seems plausible. Another possibility are Matelea spp. There are three species of this genus which is native to Southern counties of Illinois. Not sure I could tell you which the one you have could be but http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=MATEL – but [...]