The Manroots or Wild cucumbers are the genus Marah of flowering plants in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae. They are native to western North America.

These are perennial plants, growing from a large tuber. Most have stout, scabrous or hairy stems, with coiling tendrils that enable them to climb up other plants; they can also grow rapidly across level ground. Their leaves tend to have multiple lobes, up to 7 in some species.

Fruits of plants in the genus Marah are striking and easily recognised. They are large, and spherical, oval or cylindrical. At a minimum they are 3cm in diameter, but can be up to 20cm long, and in many species they are covered in long spines.

The name "Marah" comes from a Hebrew word meaning "bitter", and was given because all parts of these plants tend to have a bitter taste.

Some authors include the man-roots in genus Echinocystis . Considered as a separate genus, however, it includes six or seven species, some of them with well-defined varieties within them.

Species in genus Marah

• California Manroot, Marah fabaceus
  • Marah fabaceus var. agrestis
  • Marah fabaceus var. fabaceus
• Gila Manroot , Marah gilensis
• Sierra Manroot , Marah horridus
• Cucamonga Manroot , Marah macrocarpus
  • Marah macrocarpus var. macrocarpus
  • Marah macrocarpus var. major
  • Marah macrocarpus var. micranthus
• Coastal Manroot Marah oreganus
• Taw Manroot Marah watsonii

External links

• Jepson manual treatment of genus Marah