, Family Gourd (Cucurbitaceae) Height Long vines up to 20' Color White to Yellowish-Green Flowers 1/2" Blooms April Leaves wide and lobed, resembling grape leaves Habitat Scrubby areas, clearings, near streams and washes     Also called California Man-root and "Old man in the ground." The incredibly large root can be up to five feet long -- the size of a small men -- hence the name. The California Wild Cucumber is a native species but it can also be invasive. Its aggressive tendrils and vines often nearly overwhelm nearby treess and bushes. It has both male and female flowers and produces bizarre looking spiked gourd-fruit which can be dried to make a scrubbing sponge [1]. caption: file: x - square 0" x 0" at 300 dpi - release: contact us regarding image add image to lightbox References Alden, Peter, and Fred Heath. National Audubon Society Field Guide to California. New York: Knopf, 1998. Beidleman, Linda H., and Eugene N. Kozloff. Plants of the San Francisco Bay Region: Mendocino to Monterey. Berekeley, CA: University of California, 2003. [1] Mount Diablo Wildflowers. Walnut Creek, CA: Mt. Diablo Interpretive Association, 2005. Munz, Philip A. Introduction to California Spring Wildflowers of the Foothills, Valleys, and Coast. Eds. Dianne Lake and Phyllis M. Faber. Berekeley, CA: University of California, 2004. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Cucumber