California Manroot (Marah fabacea) Login         


        Description
  • Height to 20 ft.
  • EW Bloom Mar - Apr
  • A vine, often climbing 15 or 20 feet, with curlicue tendrils for gripping.
  • The root, a tuber, is massive. It can be 5 feet long and weigh over 100 pounds.
  • It is widespread in California.
  • Similar to Coast Manroot.
  • CA native - found only in California.
  • AKA Wild Cucumber, California Man-Root
  • Cucumber Family (Cucurbitaceae)



This is a vine with many small white-yellow flowers of 5 or 6 petals. Fruit is a sphere with prickles.



Many tendrils off the stem make it a great climber.



Fruit is large, about 2 inches across, with thin prickles.

   Photo Gallery (73 ) click any picture to enlarge
    

Wild Cucumber is a fast-growing vine with large 5-[[lobed]] leaves, small whitish flowers, and prickly spherical fruit. The vine can reach 20 feet ...

Leaf shape and size varies widely, but leaves generally have 5 [[lobes]] and a big curvy indent where the stalk connects it to the stem. They can b ...

Wild Cucumber is mildly toxic. It contains saponin in its roots and leaves. Native Americans used this for soap and dropped it into still water ...

Wild Cucumber is a vine, unable to support itself, but uses many tendrils to climb other plants and get off the ground. Notice how the tendril coil ...

Tendrils coil when they touch something or when they're pulled, helping to get a firm grip on nearby plants and other objects.