The climbing plant Galium aparine (IMAGE) Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia - IIT Caption SEM Image of Galium aparine's leaves. This climbing plant, commonly known as “catchweed”, has evolved a particular mechanism for parasitic anchoring that allows it to climb over other plants via micro-hooks on its leaves. These hooks allow it to anchor onto the surfaces of other plants as it grows, exploiting them for physical support. Credit IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Usage Restrictions use with appropriate credit and caption License Original content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.