Smilax
Smilax is a genus of about 300–350 species, found in the tropics and subtropics worldwide. They are climbing flowering plants, many of which are woody and/or thorny, in the monocotyledon family Smilacaceae, native throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world.
Common names include catbriers, greenbriers, prickly-ivys and smilaxes. Sarsaparilla is a name used specifically for the Neotropical S. ornata as well as a catch-all term in particular for American species. Occasionally, the non-woody species such as the smooth herbaceous greenbrier are separated as genus Nemexia; they are commonly known by the rather ambiguous name carrion flowers.
Greenbriers get their scientific name from the Greek myth of Crocus and the nymph Smilax. Though this myth has numerous forms, it always centers around the unfulfilled and tragic love of a mortal man who is turned into a flower, and a woodland nymph who is transformed into a brambly vine.
Description
On their own, Smilax plants will grow as shrubs, forming dense impenetrable thickets. They will also grow over trees and other plants up to 10 m high, their hooked thorns allowing them to hang onto and scramble over branches. The genus includes both deciduous and evergreen species. The leaves are heart shaped and vary from 4–30 cm long in different species.Greenbrier is dioecious. However, only about one in three colonies have plants of both sexes. Plants flower in May and June with white–green clustered flowers. If pollination occurs, the plant will produce a bright red to blue-black spherical berry fruit about 5–10 mm in diameter that matures in the fall.
Extrafloral nectaries have been reported on the apex and lower side of the leaf of S. bracteata.
Taxonomy
The genus has traditionally been considered as divided into a number of sections, but molecular phylogenetic studies reveals that these morphologically defined subdivisions are not monophyletic. Subdivision is best considered in terms of clades, corresponding to biogeography, with the main divisions being Old World and New World with the exception of S. aspera, that appears to be sister to all other species and has a tri-continental disjunction.Section Smilax includes "woody", prickly vines of temperate North America, for example cat greenbrier and common greenbrier. Section Nemexia includes unarmed herbaceous plants of temperate North America, for example "carrion flowers" like the smooth herbaceous greenbrier. Section Heterosmilax represents a previous separate genus that was found to be embedded within Smilax, and was reduced to a section within it.
List of selected species
Smilax aberrans Gagnep.Smilax aculeatissima ConranSmilax amblyobasis K.KrauseSmilax ampla Warb. ex K.KrauseSmilax anceps Willd.Smilax anguina K.KrauseSmilax annulata Warb. ex K.KrauseSmilax aquifolium Ferrufino & GreuterSmilax arisanensis HayataSmilax aristolochiifolia Mill. - American sarsaparilla Smilax aspera L. - Mediterranean smilax, common smilax, rough smilaxSmilax aspericaulisWall. ex A.DC. Smilax assumptionis A.DC. Smilax astrosperma F.T.Wang & TangSmilax auriculata WalterSmilax australis R.Br. - lawyer vine, barbwire vine, wait-a-while Smilax azorica H.Schaef. & P.SchönfelderSmilax bapouensis H.LiSmilax basilata F.T.Wang & TangSmilax bauhinioides Kunth Smilax bella J.F.Macbr.Smilax biflora Siebold ex Miq.Smilax biltmoreana J.B.Norton ex PennellSmilax biumbellata T.KoyamaSmilax blumei A.DC.Smilax bockii Warb.Smilax bona-nox L. - saw greenbrierSmilax borneensis A.DC. Smilax bracteata PreslSmilax brasiliensis Sprengel. Smilax californica A.Gray Smilax calophylla Wall. ex A.DC. Smilax cambodiana Gagnep.Smilax campestris Griseb.Smilax canariensis Willd.Smilax canellifolia Mill.Smilax celebica BlumeSmilax chapaensis Gagnep.Smilax china L.Smilax chingii F.T. Wang & Ts.TangSmilax cinnamomea Desf. ex A.DC. Smilax cissoides M.Martens & Galeotti Smilax cocculoides Warb.Smilax cognata KunthSmilax compta FerrufinoSmilax corbularia KunthSmilax cordato-ovata Rich.Smilax cordifolia Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.Smilax coriacea Spreng.Smilax cristalensis Ferrufino & GreuterSmilax cuprea Ferrufino & GreuterSmilax cuspidata DuhamelSmilax cyclophylla Warb.Smilax darrisii H.Lév.Smilax davidiana A.DC.Smilax densibarbata F.T.Wang & TangSmilax discotis Warb.Smilax domingensis Willd.Smilax ecirrhata S.Wats.Smilax elastica Griseb. Smilax elegans Wall.Smilax elegantissima Gagnep.Smilax elmeri Merr.Smilax elongatoumbellata HayataSmilax emeiensis J.M.XuSmilax erecta Merr.Smilax excelsa L.Smilax extensa A.DC.Smilax ferox Wall. ex KunthSmilax flavicaulis RusbySmilax fluminensis Steud.Smilax fooningensis F.T.Wang & TangSmilax gagnepainii T.KoyamaSmilax gigantea Merr.Smilax gigantocarpa Koord. Smilax glabra Roxb. - chinaroot, tufuling Smilax glauca Walter - cat greenbrier, glaucous greenbrierSmilax glaucochina Warb.Smilax glyciphylla Sm. - sweet sarsaparilla, native sarsaparilla Smilax goyazana A.DC. Smilax gracilior Ferrufino & GreuterSmilax griffithii A.DC.Smilax guianensis VitmanSmilax guiyangensis C.X.Fu & C.D.ShenSmilax havanensis Jacq.Smilax hayatae T.KoyamaSmilax hemsleyana Craib.Smilax herbacea L. - smooth herbaceous greenbrier, carrion flower Smilax hilariana A.DC. Smilax horridiramula HayataSmilax hugeri J.B.Norton ex PennellSmilax hypoglauca Benth.Smilax ilicifolia Desv. ex Ham.Smilax illinoensis Mangaly - Illinois greenbrierSmilax indosinica T.KoyamaSmilax inversa T.KoyamaSmilax irrorata Mart. ex Griseb. Smilax jamesii G.WallaceSmilax japicanga Griseb. Smilax javensis A.DC. Smilax kaniensis K.KrauseSmilax keyensis Warb. ex K.KrauseSmilax kingii Hook.f.Smilax klotzschii KunthSmilax korthalsii A.DC. Smilax kwangsiensis F.T.Wang & TangSmilax lanceifolia Roxb.Smilax lappacea Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.Smilax larvata Griseb. Smilax lasioneura Hook. - herbaceous greenbrierSmilax lasseriana Steyerm.Smilax laurifolia L.Smilax lebrunii H.Lév.Smilax leucophylla BlumeSmilax ligneoriparia C.X.Fu & P.LiSmilax ligustrifolia A.DC. Smilax loheri MerrSmilax longifolia Rich.Smilax lucidaMerr.Smilax luei T.KoyamaSmilax lunglingensis F.T.Wang & TangSmilax lushuiensis S.C.ChenSmilax lutescens Vell.Smilax luzonensis PreslSmilax macrocarpa BlumeSmilax magnifolia J.F.Macbr.Smilax mairei Lev.Smilax malipoensis S.C.ChenSmilax maritima Feay ex Alph.WoodSmilax maypurensis Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.Smilax megacarpa A.DC.Smilax megalantha C.H.WrightSmilax melanocarpa Ridl.Smilax melastomifolia Sm. - hoi kuahiwi Smilax menispermoidea A.DC.Smilax microchina T.KoyamaSmilax microphylla C.H.WrightSmilax minarum A.DC. Smilax minutiflora A.DC.Smilax modesta A.DC. Smilax mollis Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.Smilax moranensis Mart. & GaleottiSmilax munita S.C.ChenSmilax muscosa ToledoSmilax myosotiflora A.DC.Smilax myrtillus A.DC.Smilax nageliana A.DC. Smilax nana F.T.WangSmilax nantoensis T.KoyamaSmilax neocaledonica SchltrSmilax nervomarginata HayataSmilax nigrescens F.T.Wang & TangSmilax nipponica Miq.Smilax nova-guineensis T.KoyamaSmilax obliquata DuhamelSmilax oblongata Sw.Smilax ocreata DC.Smilax odoratissima BlumeSmilax officinalis Kunth Smilax orbiculata Labill.Smilax ornata Lem.Smilax orthoptera A.DC. Smilax outanscianensis Pamp.Smilax ovalifolia Roxb.Smilax ovatolanceolata T.KoyamaSmilax pachysandroides T.KoyamaSmilax paniculata M.Martens & GaleottiSmilax papuana Lauterb.Smilax perfoliata Lour.Smilax petelotii T.KoyamaSmilax pilcomayensis Guagl. & S.GattusoSmilax pilosa Andreata & LeoniSmilax pinfaensis H.Lév. & Vaniot Smilax plurifurcata A.DC. Smilax poilanei Gagnep.Smilax polyacantha Wall. ex KunthSmilax polycolea Warb.Smilax populnea KunthSmilax pottingeri PrainSmilax pseudochina L. - false chinarootSmilax pulverulenta Michx.Smilax pumila WalterSmilax purhampuy RuizSmilax purpurata G.Forst.Smilax pygmaea Merr.Smilax quadrata A.DC. Smilax quadrumbellata T.KoyamaSmilax quinquenervia Vell.Smilax remotinervis Hand.-Mazz.Smilax retroflexa S.C.ChenSmilax riparia A.DC.Smilax rotundifolia L. - common greenbrier Smilax rubromarginata K.KrauseSmilax rufescens Griseb. Smilax ruiziana KunthSmilax salicifolia Griseb. Smilax sanguinea Posada-Ar.Smilax santaremensis A.DC. Smilax saulensis J.D.Mitch.Smilax schomburgkiana KunthSmilax scobinicaulis C.H.WrightSmilax sebeana Miq.Smilax setiramula F.T.Wang & TangSmilax setosa Miq.Smilax sieboldii Miq.Smilax sinclairii T.KoyamaSmilax siphilitica Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.Smilax solanifolia A.DC. Smilax spicata Vell.Smilax spinosa Mill.Smilax spissa Killip & C.V.MortonSmilax spruceana A.DC.Smilax stans Maxim.Smilax stenophylla A.DC. Smilax subinermis C.PreslSmilax subpubescens A.DC. Smilax subsessiliflora Poir.Smilax synandra Gagnep.Smilax talbotiana A.DC. Smilax tamnoides L. - halberd-leaved greenbrierSmilax tetraptera SchltrSmilax timorensis A.DC. Smilax tomentosa Kunth Smilax trachypoda J.B.Norton Smilax trinervula Miq.Smilax tsinchengshanensis F.T.WangSmilax tuberculata C.PreslSmilax turbans F.T.Wang & TangSmilax utilis C.H.WrightSmilax vaginata Decne. Smilax vanchingshanensis F.T.Wang & TangSmilax velutina Killip & C.V.MortonSmilax verrucosa Griseb. Smilax verticalis Gagnep.Smilax vitiensis A.DC. Smilax wallichii KunthSmilax walteri Pursh.Smilax wightii A.DC. Smilax williamsii Merr.Smilax yunnanensis S.C.ChenSmilax zeylanica L.Distribution and habitat
The genus has a pantropical distribution, extending into adjacent temperate zones to north and south. 29 species are recognized in Central America and the Caribbean, while there are 20 species in North America north of Mexico. In China, there are 80 species.Ecology
The berry is rubbery in texture and has a large, spherical seed in the center. The fruit stays intact through winter, when birds and other animals eat them to survive. The seeds are passed unharmed in the animal's droppings. Since many Smilax colonies are single clones that have spread by rhizomes, both sexes may not be present at a site, in which case no fruit is formed.Smilax is a very damage-tolerant plant capable of growing back from its rhizomes after being cut down or burned down by fire. This, coupled with the fact that birds and other small animals spread the seeds over large areas, makes the plants very hard to get rid of. It grows best in moist woodlands with a soil pH between 5 and 6. The seeds have the greatest chance of germinating after being exposed to a freeze.
Besides their berries providing an important food for birds and other animals during the winter, greenbrier plants also provide shelter for many other animals. The thorny thickets can effectively protect small animals from larger predators who cannot enter the prickly tangle. Deer and other herbivorous mammals will eat the foliage, as will some invertebrates such as Lepidoptera, which also often drink nectar from the flowers. Beetles too are known to consume leaves.
Among the Lepidoptera utilizing Smilax are Hesperiidae like the water snow flat, Pieridae like the small grass yellow, or moths like the peculiar and sometimes flightless genus Thyrocopa. But particularly fond of greenbriers are certain Nymphalidae caterpillars, for example those of:Faunis - faun butterfliesKaniska canace - blue admiral Phalanta phalantha - common leopard
Uses
An extract from the roots of some species - most significantly Jamaican sarsaparilla - is used to make the sarsaparilla drink and other root beers, as well as herbal drinks like the popular Baba Roots from Jamaica. Two species, S. domingensis and S. havanensis, are used in a traditional soda-like Cuban beverage called pru. The roots may also be used in soups or stews. The young shoots can be eaten raw or cooked and are said to taste like asparagus, and the berries can be eaten both raw and cooked. Stuffed smilax pancake, or fúlíng jiābǐng, is a traditional snack from the Beijing region. S. glabra is used in Chinese herbology. It is also a key ingredient in the Chinese medical dessert guīlínggāo, which makes use of its property to set certain kinds of jelly.The powdered roots of Jamaican sarsaparilla are known as Rad. Sarzae. Jam. in pharmacy and are used as a traditional medicine for gout in Latin American countries. Köhler's Medicinal Plants of 1887 discusses the American sarsaparilla, but as early as about 1569, in his treatise devoted to syphilis, the Persian scholar Imad al-Din Mahmud ibn Mas‘ud Shirazi gave a detailed evaluation of the medical properties of chinaroot.
Diosgenin, a steroidal sapogenin, is reported from S. menispermoidea. Other active compounds reported from various greenbrier species are parillin, sarsapic acid, sarsapogenin and sarsaponin.
Due to the nectar-rich flowers, species like S. aristolochiifolia, S. bona-nox, S. tamnoides and S. officinalis are also useful honey plants.
A common floral decoration sometimes called "smilax" is Asparagus asparagoides, which may look similar to real Smilax but is not closely related.
In 18th-century England, a type of beer called china-ale was made by infusing china-root and coriander seeds in ale.