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Cucurbitaceae
Tumamoca macdouglii is a monoecious perennial from a subterranean woody caudex. It is an annual vine with climbing tendrils and three-lobed leaves 2-4 cm long, each with secondary lobes. Plants are dormant during winter and early spring, with growth beginning during April, but the majority of growth occurs following the summer rains. The flowers are greenish-yellow and salverform on inferior ovaries, with staminate flowers far more numerous than pistillate. The fruits are round, 7-8 mm, berry-like, 2-5 seeded and bright red at maturity. Birds relish the fruits.
Tumamoca macdouglii was listed endangered on 29 April, 1986 but have since been downlisted. Plants are found along washes and arroyos below 3,000 ft. elevation in shade of supporting shrubs. land ownership is private, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Saguaro and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, and Coronado National Forest. Plants are threatened by development, farming, overgrazing, recreation, javelina (eating tubers), off-road vehicle use, and pesticide application.
Desert Botanical Garden has only 47 field-collected seeds, and 9 plants from seed in cultivation. These nine plants have produced 68 seeds over the course of 10 years. Plants flower profusely. but evidently are not pollinated readily. Hand pollination does not appear to enhance fruiting. The plants do not appear to tolerate transplanting, or disturbance to roots. Plans are in effect to enhance the seed collection through field collections and improved hand pollination techniques on cultivated plants.
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