Plants of California

I frequently see people attempt to identify Marah based on leaf shape, which is  not  a reliable technique. Marah leaves are incredibly variable, and you will often find more similarity between two individuals of completely different species than you will between two of the same species. To demonstrate, compare the following selections of leaf shapes: California Man Root, Marah Fabacea Coastal Man Root, Marah Oregana So how do you tell them apart? The key is in the flowers, fruits, and range. California Manroot,  Marah fabacea,  is primarily found between Mendocino County and the Santa Barbara area, with some extension into the northern half of the Central Valley. Coast Man Root,  Marah oregana,  is found in coastal areas north of Santa Cruz. It extends northward all the way to Vancouver, and is the only Marah species known to occur in the Pacific Northwest. Marah fabacea range Marah oregana range In short, if it's north of Northern Mendocino County it's probably not M fabacea,