manroot

Barry Garcia wrote:
I have just acquired four seeds of this California native (I think this is
it, it could be M. macrocarpa but i'm not sure). The common name is
manroot, or California Cucumber (albeit a spiny sea-urchin looking ping
pong ball shaped cucumber). Anyway, they were located in their spiny fruit
still on the vine.

Before I ask how to germinate them, something to note is the fruit was
still a bit green, turning yellow, but the spines are still green. The
main body of the fruit was turning yellow. I didnt know it would do this,
but it split not too long after I picked it (looked like it exploded). The
inside was still moist and the flesh was still giving off water also. So
i'm unsure if the seeds will even germinate. Does anyone know?
Barry:
These grow wild up here in the foothills.  As a matter of fact, there is one growing up through the branches of another native shrub on my favorite running path.  In nature right now, these are not ready to germinate.  Judging by their native cycle, I would dry and harden them of and then plant them right in the soil in the fall, perhaps soaking them over night.  If you need more seed, just let me know; they are hardly a rarity up here! 
Karrie Reid
Foothill gardener
Folsom, CA
 
P.S. I would pit my wildflower display up here in the low Sierra Foothills against any of yours!  I recently took a hike about 45 minutes from my house with my 3 naturalist older brothers.  We followed one of the trails recommended by Toni Fauver in the book I won in the raffle at the last MGS meeting (Wildflower Walks and Roads of the Sierra Gold Country), and we were overwhelmed by the abundance and variety.  The waterfall, which was the goal of the hike, was stunning and had the most amazing saxifrage growing right in the water on the shallow rocks - Peltiphyllun peltatum - Indian rhubarb.  We were also fortunate enough to see(and handle) a small, beautiful California coral snake - but that is quite a digression for plantspeople!
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