Cucamonga manroot

Marah macrocarpa, commonly known as Cucamonga manroot or California manroot, is a perennial herbaceous vine in the family Cucurbitaceae native to southern California and northwestern Baja California. It grows from a massive woody tuberous root that can weigh more than 50 kilograms and persists for many years. In late winter and early spring vigorous trailing or climbing stems several meters long emerge, bearing palmately lobed, somewhat rough leaves and branched tendrils. The plant is monoecious, producing separate small whitish-cream star-shaped male flowers in racemes and solitary female flowers on the same stem. The fruit is a large, spiny, green spherical to ovoid gourd that dries to release a few large seeds. After fruiting the aboveground vines die back and the plant remains dormant through the dry summer and fall. All parts contain toxic cucurbitacin saponins.