Marah macrocarpus
| Marah macrocarpus | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 16' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Marah macrocarpus (common name: chilicothe)
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring in pots of rich soil in a greenhouse. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 2 weeks at 20°c. Put 2 or 3 seeds in each pot and thin to the best plant. Grow on fast and plant out after the last expected frosts.
Cultivation: Prefers a sunny position in a well-drained rich soil with abundant moisture[1][2]. Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[2]. Plants are found in dry soils in the wild so this suggests that they will be better off in a dry soil in this country[K].
A perennial plant, it is not very hardy in Britain, tolerating temperatures down to about -5°c, and is perhaps best grown as an annual.
A climbing plant, supporting itself by means of tendrils[3].
Range: South-western N. America - California.
Habitat: Dry places below 900 metres[4].
Medicinal: The root is purgative[5][6].
The seed is made into a paste and used as a treatment on pimples and skin sores[6]. The oil from the seed is rubbed into the scalp to treat diseased scalps and hair roots[6].
The plant juices can be used as a parasiticide, rubbed onto areas of skin affected by ringworm[6].
Usage: A red dye is obtained from the seed[5]. It can be mixed with iron oxide and turpentine to make a paint.[6]
The root is used to make a detergent lather[6].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Echinocystis macrocarpa. Greene.
Links
References
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bird, Alfred. Focus on Plants Volume 5. Thompson and Morgan, 1991.
- ↑ Grey-Wilson, Christopher and Victoria Matthews. Gardening on Walls. Collins, 1983.
- ↑ Munz, David. A California Flora. University of California Press, 1959.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.