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Marah macrocarpus (Greene) Greene Cucamonga manroot, common manroot, bigroot
Cucamonga manroot is native to southern California and Baja California in Mexico. Identification: Cucamonga manroot is a vine that resembles garden cucumbers because it is a member of the same family. Vines reach lengths of 20′ (6 m), attaching themselves to other surfaces with tendrils. Leaves have 5-7 lobes, and show much variation; they are about 4″ (10 cm) around. Flowers are yellowish-green to white, with greenish centers and five petals, up to 1″ (2.5 cm) in diameter. Fruits look rather imposing, oval- or cucumber-shaped and studded with spikes. They are 1¾-2″ (5-6 cm) around and up to 6-8″ (15-20 cm) long. Hard roots, like those of ginger, reach remarkably large sizes and can weigh more than a good-sized person.
Photographed in Voorhis Ecological Reserve near Pomona, CA, USA by Curtis Clark. Edibility: Poisonous Online References:
The Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council’s Plant of the Month site Www.ishs.org (Cucurbitaceae family) Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants The Natural History of Orange County, California
Marah macrocarpus description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.
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2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Park, La Jolla, California · ≈ 8 × 6″ (21 × 14 cm)
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Park, La Jolla, California · ≈ 10 × 7″ (26 × 17 cm)
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Park, La Jolla, California · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (49 × 32 cm)
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Park, La Jolla, California · ≈ 3 × 4½″ (7.8 × 11 cm) Range:
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. All parts of the plant are bitter
and are at least mildly poisonous.
