Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest and east in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; British Columbia to California, also rarely in Hells Canyon in Idaho.
Habitat: Low elevation fields, thickets and open areas.
Flowers: April-June
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Bees, flies
Perennial vine from a large, woody, tuberous root; stems herbaceous, leafy, bearing tendrils.
Alternate, to 20 cm long, shallowly lobed and cordate at base.
White, 6-12 mm across with 5 flaring lobes (or sometimes 6-8); male flowers in racemes, female flowers mostly single in axil at base of racemes.
Green, weakly spiny, inflated gourd-like fruits 3-8 cm long with several large seeds inside.
Look for the mostly 5-lobed white flowers and inflated gourd-like fruits. Compare with grapes (family Vitaceae) which have woody stems and more mumerous minute unshowy flowers.
Publication: A Flora of Northwest America 2: 239. 1898.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Marah oregana in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.
WA Flora Checklist: Marah oregana checklist entry.
OregonFlora: Marah oregana information.
E-Flora BC: Marah oregana atlas page.
CalPhotos: Marah oregana photos.
USDA Plants: Marah oregana information.
