Big Root
Marah gilensis
Big root uses its tendrils to climb into trees and shrubs. It is a member of
the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae).
VINE: A climbing vine entirely herbaceous above the ground. The plant
grows year after year from a large underground tuber but the above ground
portions wither away by late spring.
FRUIT: Spherical and covered with fleshy prickles. Inside are several
large, nearly black seeds. On drying the fruit reveals a loose fibrous
interior rather like a loufa sponge (same plant family).
The example below was observed 14 May 2017, near Bartlett Dam Rd., Maricopa Co., Arizona.
RANGE: Common from 300 m up to 1500 m along riparian streams or within mequite
bosques (woodland) in the Upper Sonoran Desert of Arizona and Sonora.
LEAVES: Verdant green leaves have large prominent teeth and appear in
early spring as the vine grows up and into trees/shrubs.
FLOWERS: Small, whitish-yellow with five petals.
UNARMED
Harris' Antelope Squirrel predates the large seeds.