About Ibervillea sonorae (S.Watson) Greene
Ibervillea sonorae is a perennial dioecious vine with a large, irregularly shaped gray tuberous rootstock that resembles a boulder. This enormous succulent tuber, which stores water and nutrients, blends into its arid xeric habitat and gives the plant strong vitality in this dry environment. Shoots emerge annually from the tuber in spring, die back in fall, and regrow the following year. The long, flexible liana-like shoots can reach 3 meters or more in length; they are round, smooth, green above, and gradually transition into the tuber below. Shoots bear branched tendrils and bright green leaves that are twice 3-cleft and lack leaf glands. Flowers always appear alongside leaves: male flowers grow in racemes, while female flowers are solitary. Flowers are yellow, they open early in the morning after dawn and close in the afternoon. Fruits measure 3.2 to 3.8 cm (1.25 to 1.5 inches) long, range in color from reddish to orange or amber, do not have an unpleasant odor, but are very bitter and unpalatable. This species is native to northwestern Mexico. On the Baja California peninsula, it occurs in extreme southeast Baja California state, from the area around the Sierra de La Libertad south to the Cape region of Baja California Sur, and grows on various islands adjacent to the peninsula. It is also found throughout Sonora and in Sinaloa.
