Cucurbitaceae FAMILY

Marah fabacea

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

The root is said to be poisonous to fish[ 257 Title Native American Ethnobotany Publication Author Moerman. D. Publisher Timber Press. Oregon. Year 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9 Description Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader. ]. We have no reports as to whether or not it is toxic to mammals[ K Title Plants for a Future Author Ken Fern Description Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips. ].

Botanical Description

Marah fabacea is a herbaceous perennial climbing plant growing from a tuberous rootstock. The stems can be up to 7 metres long, they scramble over the ground, climbing into nearby vegetation for support, attaching themselves by means of tendrils The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and as a treatment for hair loss.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeSouth-western N. America - California, Nevada.

HabitatStreamsides, washes, coastal strand, rock outcrops, cliff bases, ledges, grasslands, chaparral, oak woodlands, riparian woodlands, open hillsides, roadsides, powerline cuts; at elevations from 20 - 1,400 metres[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ].