Marah watsonii (Taw manroot)
Credit: Jason Johns (inset, Scott Hodges)
about the species
Marah watsonii is a California endemic species, only found along the northern edges of the California central valley. It occurs in shrubby areas to forest edges. Like other species of Marah, it annually produces herbaceous vines from a large underground tuber. Unlike other species of Marah, its fruits have no or only a few prickles and are small (2.0 – 3.5 cm). See Marah fabacea for more about this genus.
why species was selected
Like a number of California plant groups, Marah species form a replacement series around the central valley with different species primarily found in southern, central or northern portions of the coast ranges or Sierra Nevada. The genus was important to indigenous Californians, who used it to stun fish and as a soap.
