About Marah gilensis (Greene) Greene
Marah gilensis (Greene) Greene is a perennial vine that grows from a large, branched tuber. In spring, it produces fleshy climbing shoots that reach 6 feet (1.8 meters) or more in height. These shoots scramble over and cling to trees and shrubs using coiled tendrils. Its leaves are quite variable, glossy green and palmately lobed, with three to seven oblong-lanceolate or triangular lobes; the upper leaf surface is smooth, while the lower surface is hairy. Male and female flowers grow separately on the same individual plant. Flowers are white, yellow, or greenish-white, with four or five corolla lobes, and measure 6 to 10 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) across. The fruit is fleshy, bright green, 2 to 3 centimeters (0.8 to 1.2 inches) in diameter, and covered in strong, smooth spines.
This is an uncommon plant with a restricted range in the Southwestern United States. It occurs in Arizona, where it grows in the northwestern, central, and southern parts of the state at altitudes up to 5,000 feet (1,500 meters). It is also recorded to be present in New Mexico. It typically grows near streams in wooded thickets, or in sandy washes.
Marah gilensis is a desert-adapted plant suited to a climate of hot dry summers and cold winters. Its foliage dies back in autumn, and it sprouts again from its tuber each spring. Late frosts may damage new sprouts, but the tubers will send up new growth. Plant species that grow in association with Marah gilensis include Celtis ehrenbergiana, Ziziphus obtusifolia, Senegalia greggii, Opuntia engelmannii, Eragrostis lehmanniana, Calliandra eriophylla, Ericameria laricifolia, Bouteloua aristidoides, Bouteloua curtipendula, Bouteloua hirsuta, and Bouteloua eriopoda.
