Pixel Wild
Chilicothe
Chilicothe
Marah macrocarpa
Plantae
COMMON

Stats

Lifespan
Perennial
Size
Large
Diet
Photosynthetic
Biome
Mediterranean shrubland
Range
North America
Movement
Climbing
Breeding
Seeds
Defense
Toxins
Status
Common

About

A native California vine in the gourd family that scrambles over shrubs and fences each spring. Its trunk-like root can weigh over 200 pounds — earning it the nickname 'manroot' — while the spiny green fruits are about the size of a tennis ball.

Life cycle

  1. 1.
    seed
    A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
  2. 2.
    sprout
    A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
  3. 3.
    sapling
    A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
  4. 4.
    mature
    Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Marah
Species
Marah macrocarpa