Marah macrocarpus
Encyclopedia
Marah macrocarpus, the Cucamonga Manroot or Bigroot, is the common manroot
of most of Southern California
and Baja California
.
Vines emerge from a large, hard tuberous root which can reach several meters in length and weigh in excess of 100 kilograms (220.5 lb). Vines develop leaves and, particularly, flowers and fruit very quickly, often with the first nodes of the quick-growing vines containing male and female flower heads.
, that is, individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant. Male flowers appear in open clusters while females flowers, distinguished by a swollen base, usually appear individually. The plant is self-fertile, i.e. pollen from the male flowers can fertilise the female flowers on the same plant; pollination is by insect
s.
The fruit is longer than it is wide, 5–6 cm in diameter and 15–20 cm long, and covered in prickles of variable density, up to 1 cm long but without hooks. Unripe fruit are bright green, ripening to yellow. The fruit swells as it ripens until finally rupturing and releasing the large seeds. Fruit begin to form in late winter and ripen by early summer.
. Fruit usually hold four or more seeds. Seeds sprout in the cool wetness of late winter. Seeds have an intriguing germination process. The initial shoot emerges from the seed and grows downward into the earth. This shoot then splits, one part beginning to swell and form the tuber, while the second part grows back to the surface and becomes the vine.
, at elevations up to 1600 feet (487.7 m). Its range extends from Santa Barbara and the Transverse Ranges
in the west and north to Baja California and the Mojave Desert
and Sonoran Desert
in the south and east. It will tolerate a variety of soil types and acidities, but it requires seasonally moist soil. Vines can grow in full-sun to partially shaded conditions. In the Mediterranean climate
areas of California, manroot emerges soon after winter rains begin, grows until late spring, and dies back completely in the heat and dryness of summer.
Three varieties are recognised:
Manroot
The manroots, wild cucumbers, or cucumber gourd are flowering plants in the gourd family , native to western North America. They are also commonly called Old man in the ground. The genus name comes from Hebrew מָרָ֔א The manroots, wild cucumbers, or cucumber gourd (genus Marah) are flowering...
of most of Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
.
Foliage
Cucamonga manroot, Marah macrocarpus, has the most pubescent shoots, stems, and leaves of all the manroot species native to California - this being consistent with its range having the most arid climate of all the species in California. Vines appear in late winter in response to increased rainfall, and can climb or scramble to a length of 6 metres (19.7 ft). Its leaves typically have five lobes with individual plants showing wide variation in leaf size and lobe length.Vines emerge from a large, hard tuberous root which can reach several meters in length and weigh in excess of 100 kilograms (220.5 lb). Vines develop leaves and, particularly, flowers and fruit very quickly, often with the first nodes of the quick-growing vines containing male and female flower heads.
Flower
The flower can vary in colour from yellowish green to cream to white. Flowers appear soon after the vine emerges. The flowers are monoeciousPlant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
, that is, individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant. Male flowers appear in open clusters while females flowers, distinguished by a swollen base, usually appear individually. The plant is self-fertile, i.e. pollen from the male flowers can fertilise the female flowers on the same plant; pollination is by insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s.
Fruit
Seeds and germination
Seeds of Marah macrocarpus are large, hard, and very smooth. Southern California Manroot has larger, longer seeds that the other manroot species except for Marah horridusMarah horridus
Marah horridus is a species of flowering plant in the gourd family known by the common name Sierra manroot. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.-Description:...
. Fruit usually hold four or more seeds. Seeds sprout in the cool wetness of late winter. Seeds have an intriguing germination process. The initial shoot emerges from the seed and grows downward into the earth. This shoot then splits, one part beginning to swell and form the tuber, while the second part grows back to the surface and becomes the vine.
Habitats
The Southern California Manroot, Marah macrocarpus, grows most vigorously by streams or in washes but is also successful in dry chaparralChaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
, at elevations up to 1600 feet (487.7 m). Its range extends from Santa Barbara and the Transverse Ranges
Transverse Ranges
The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region that runs along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie between...
in the west and north to Baja California and the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
and Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
in the south and east. It will tolerate a variety of soil types and acidities, but it requires seasonally moist soil. Vines can grow in full-sun to partially shaded conditions. In the Mediterranean climate
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
areas of California, manroot emerges soon after winter rains begin, grows until late spring, and dies back completely in the heat and dryness of summer.
General
All parts of the plant have a bitter taste (this is the meaning of the genus name Marah, which comes from Hebrew). Despite this, the leaves have been used as a vegetable. The large tuber of the manroot can be processed for a soap-like extract.Three varieties are recognised:
- Marah macrocarpus var. macrocarpus (found in much of Southern California)
- Marah macrocarpus var. major (found on the Channel IslandsChannel IslandsThe Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
) - Marah macrocarpus var. micranthus (found in northern portions of the range).