National Collection of Imperiled Plants

CPC National Collection Plant Profile

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Lynda Pritchett-Kozak

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CPC National Collection Plant Profile

Tumamoca macdougalii

Family:	Cucurbitaceae
Common Name:	Tumamoc globe-berry
Author:	Rose
Growth Habit:	Vine, Forb/herb
CPC Number:	4354

Distribution
Protection
Conservation
References

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Photographer: Lynda Pritchett-Kozak

Tumamoca macdougalii is Fully Sponsored

Primary custodian for this plant in the CPC National Collection of Endangered Plants is:

Desert Botanical Garden

Kathleen C. Rice contributed to this Plant Profile.

Tumamoca macdougalii

This desert-growing perennial vine is a member of the gourd family, with a tuberous root and foliage that is made up of climbing tendrils. When the foliage of this plant is touched, a fetid smell is given off. Flowers are a greenish-yellow and separated by gender. Male flowers outnumber female flowers. When the small fruits reach maturity, they are red and resemble tiny watermelons. Birds relish the fruits and seek them out even in cultivation.

Distribution & Occurrence

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State Range

Arizona

Habitat

Plants are found along washes and arroyos below 3,000 ft. elevation in shade of supporting shrubs (USFWS 1986). They are exceptionally difficult to locate, even during active growth, as the foliage intermingles with neighboring species (USFWS 1986). When dormant, they are almost impossible to locate.

Distribution

Distribution is widely scattered. Land ownership is private, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Saguaro and Organpipe National Monument, and Coronado National Forest (USFWS 1986, 1992)

Number Left

There are 78 populations in Sonoran Desert scrub and Sinaloan Thornscrub, (southern Arizona to Sonora, Mexico). Because of its wide range, non-specific habitat requirements and known populations, this species was delisted in 1993 (USFWS 1993).

Protection

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Global Rank:	G4	5/13/1999	Guide to Global Ranks
Federal Status:	DP	10/31/1994	Guide to Federal Status
Recovery Plan:	No

State/Area Protection

State/Area	Rank	Status	Date
Arizona	S3		2/20/1987
Mexico	*FR83		8/26/1988
Sonora			8/28/1991

Conservation, Ecology & Research

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Ecological Relationships

Ecological relationships are largely unknown, however, this species is associated with : Larrea divaricata, Acacia constricta, Carnegia gigantea, Opuntia pheacantha, Opuntia versicolor and Ambrosia deltoidea (USFWS 1986). It is believed that species such as Larrea and Ambrosia act as nurse plants, providing shade to T. macdougalii (Reichenbacher 1984).

Threats

Plants are threatened by urban expansion and associated pressures created by recreation and off-road vehicle use (USFWS 1986). Natural threats include predation by javelina which eat the tubers. In addition, farming and pesticide application are threats to plants.

Current Research Summary

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.

Current Management Summary

As land ownership varies, current management practices vary. Plants are being monitored on the Tohono O'odham Nation land. Population monitoring has been consistent up until the mid 1990's when this species was delisted (Reichenbacher 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, Toolin 1992, USFWS 1993).

Research Management Needs

There is a critical need for pollination biological studies, additional surveys, investigation into population demographics and vegetation associations, and germination and establishment requirements. Plants are found in desert grassland areas that may receive periodic fires. Studies related to fire need to be conducted. Seeds germinate readily, but establishment during the early stages is poor.

Ex Situ Needs

Continue to collect seeds that represent the genetic diversity of the species for ex situ storage.

References

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Books (Single Authors)

Kartesz, J.T. 1993. Species distribution data for vascular plants of 70 geographical areas, from unpublished data files at the North Carolina Botanical Garden.

Kartesz, J.T. 1996. Species distribution data at state and province level for vascular plant taxa of the United States, Canada, and Greenland (accepted records), from unpublished data files at the North Carolina Botanical Garden.

Kearney, T.H.; Peebles, R.H. 1973. Arizona flora. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1085p.

Rutman, S. 1992. Handbook of Arizona's endangered, threatened, and candidate plants. Phoenix, Arizona: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Books (Sections)

Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the U.S., Canada, and Greenland. In: Kartesz, J.T.; Meacham, C.A., editors. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden. Chapel Hill, NC.

Conference Proceedings

Reichenbacher, F.W.; Zamudio, D.V. Use of a Climatalogical Model in an Endangered Plant Survey of International Scope. Proceedings of the Southwestern Rare and Endangered Plant Conference; 30 March - 2 April; Santa Fe, NM. In: Sivinski, R.; Lightfoot, K., editors. 1992. New Mexico Forestry and Resources Conservation Division. p 16-17.

Electronic Sources

(2000). Center for Plant Conservation's National Living Collection--Profiles. Desert Botanical Garden. http://www.dbg.org/Collections/cpc.html. Accessed: 2002.

(2002). Threatened and Endangered Species in Pima County; Priority Vulnerable Species in Pima County. The On-line Sonoran Desert Educational Center. http://www.co.pima.az.us/cmo/sdcp/sdcp2/fsheets/index.html. Accessed: 2002.

Journal Articles

Fonseca, J. 1992. Southwestern Rare and Endangered Plant Conference. The Plant Press. 16: 6-7.

Gries, C. 1992. Conservation Page. The Plant Press. 16: 10.

Kreutz, D. 1988. Botanists Keep Striving to Save Rare Globeberry. The Plant Press. 12: 6-7.

Nabhan, G. 1989. Rescuing Arizona's Endangered Plants. Arizona Highways. 65: 35-41.

Olwell, P. 1986. Determination of Tumamoca macdougalii to be endangered. Federal Register. 51, 82: 15906-15911.

Rose, J.N. 1912. Tumamoca, a new genus of Cucurbitaceae. Contr. U.S. National Herbarium, Washington, D.C. 16

USFWS. 1985. Four Species. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. 10, 6: 5-6.

USFWS. 1986. 18 Plants Proposed for Listing Protection. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. 11, 5: 1-13.

USFWS. 1986. Determination of Tumamoca macdougalli to be Endangered. Federal Register. 51, 82: 15906-15911.

USFWS. 1988. Regional News--Region 2. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. 13, 11-12: 3.

USFWS. 1992. Two Western Plants Proposed for Delisting. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. 17, 9-11: 12.

USFWS. 1993. Final Delisting, New information discovered ETWP; Final Rule to Delist the Plant Tumamoca macdougalii. Federal Register. 58, 116: 33562-33565.

Reports

2001. Draft Report: Priority Vulnerable Species in Pima County, Arizona, as part of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. Pima County, Arizona: Board of Supervisors.

Fonseca, J.; Scalero, D. 1999. Determining Valuable Species within Pima County, AZ: a discussion paper for the Sonoran desert conservation plan. Tuscon, AZ: Pima County Flood Control District.

Mills, G.S. 1986. Report on the transplantation of Tumamoca macdouglii from the Phase B corridor of the Tucson Aqueduct of the Central Arizona Project. Phoenix, Az: SWCA, Inc. report to U.S. Bureau of Recl., Ariz. Proj. Off.

Reichenbacher, F.W. 1985. Status and distribution of the Tumamoc globe-berry (Tumamoca macdouglii Rose). Tempe. Arizona: F.W. Reichenbacher & Assoc. report to Ariz. State Univ., Dept. Botany & Microbiol.

Reichenbacher, F.W. 1986. Tumamoc globe-berry removal from the Central Arizona Project Aqueduct route, Avra Valley, Arizona. Phoenix, Arizona: F.W. Reichenbacher & Assoc. report to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Arizona Project Off.

Reichenbacher, F.W. 1989. Monitoring of transplanted Tumamoca macdouglii, Tucson Aqueduct, Phase B, Central Arizona Project. Phoenix, Arizona: F.W. Reichenbacher & Assoc. report to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Arizona Project Off.

Reichenbacher, F.W. 1990. Tumamoc globe-berry studies in Arizona and sonora, Mexico. Phoenix, Arizona: F.W. Reichenbacher & Assoc. report to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Arizona Proj., Off.

Toolin, L.J. 1982. Status Report: Tumamoca macdouglii. Albuquerque, New Mexico: Report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Endangered Species.

USFWS. 1991. Status Summary: Tumamoca macdougalli. Phoenix, AZ: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. p.2.

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This profile was updated on 3/4/2010