Western Wild Cucumber-Cucumber Family

 

Bigroot, manroot, ol-man-in–the-ground

 

Marah oraganus

 

Characteristics. This native is found in the western US and Canada and commonly occurs in orchards, waste areas and along roadsides and fencerows.  Two other species of cucumber occur in the west, namely annual wild cucumber and white brytony.

 

Identifying Characteristics.  Western wild cucumber is a perennial that regenerates from a huge bulbous taproot.  Annual wild cucumber lacks a huge woody taproot that is characteristic of the other two species.

 

 

All 3 species grow as trailing and climbing vines with large leaves (to 6 inches) that resemble those of grape. 

 

 

Flowers are wax-white and somewhat star-shaped.  Most characteristic are the spiny gourd-like fruit (football shaped with a beak at one end)) that can reach a length of several inches.  The fruit of annual wild cucumber is almost cylindrical with more spines than that of western wild cucumber. The fruit of white bryony is berry-like.

 

 

Characteristics Important to Control.  Due to the huge woody taproot of western wild cucumber and white bryony control is difficult if not impossible with herbicides.  Even though the above ground plant parts are killed with these chemicals the root is not affected and will produced new plants.  Permanent control can be achieved by digging up the root.