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Marah spp
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Photographer: Aaron Schusteff
ID: 0000 0000 0515 1775 (2015-05-18)Copyright © 2015 Aaron Schusteff
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INFORMATION PROVIDED WITH THE PHOTO
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date of photo May 16, 2015
location
San Bruno Mountain (San Mateo County, California, US)family
Curcubitaceae
notes San Bruno Mountain is one of the few places where both Marah fabacea and Marah oregana can be found growing right next to each other. Members of a Saturday field trip led by Doug Allshouse were treated to a display of the contrasting fruits and seeds of these two species of ''wild cucumber''. On the left here is M. fabacea, and on the right M. oregana...both rendered-in-two with grace and surgical precision by Dr. David Nelson, and served on a platter of fresh Coyote Brush greens by yours truly. One should be cautious in reading too much into plant common names like ''wild cucumber''. The genus name Marah is Hebrew for ''bitter'', and I've heard the seeds of these plants described as the bitterest substance on planet Earth (perhaps an exaggeration). A few courageous souls took up Doug's offer to touch a tiny bit of the slimy seed coat to their tongues. It's a taste that lingers and can be hard to dispel, but one of the takers discovered chewing on wild mustard flowers was an effective antidote. (A good use for an otherwise rather onerous invasive weed.) photo category: Plant - annual/perennial
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MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PLANT |
Look for Jepson Manual treatments, maps (University & Jepson Herbaria)View Calflora record for Marah sppView all photos in CalPhotos of Marah spp Check Google Images for Marah spp |
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The photographer's identification Marah spp has not been reviewed. Click here to review or comment on the identification. |
Using this photo The thumbnail photo (128x192 pixels) on this page may be freely used for personal or academic purposes without prior permission under the Fair Use provisions of US copyright law as long as the photo is clearly credited with © 2015 Aaron Schusteff.
For other uses, or if you have questions, contact Aaron Schusteff arbonius2[AT]sbcglobal.net. (Replace the [AT] with the @ symbol before sending an email.) |
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