''Smilax'' is a genus of about 300–350

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

, found in the

tropics The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

and

subtropic The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones immediately to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from to approximately 3 ...

s worldwide.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> They are climbing

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s, many of which are woody and/or thorny, in the

monocotyledon Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, ( Lilianae '' sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are flowering plants whose seeds contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. A monocot taxon has been in use for several decades, but with various ranks ...

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Smilacaceae, native throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Common names include catbriers, greenbriers, prickly-ivys and smilaxes. ''Sarsaparilla'' (also zarzaparrilla, sarsparilla) is a name used specifically for the

Neotropical The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In biogeogra ...

'' 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 (''S. herbacea'') are separated as genus ''Nemexia''; they are commonly known by the rather ambiguous name ''carrion flowers''. Greenbriers get their

scientific name In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

from the Greek myth of

Crocus ''Crocus'' (; plural: crocuses or croci) is a genus of seasonal flowering plants in the family Iridaceae (iris family) comprising about 100 species of perennial plant, perennials growing from corms. They are low growing plants, whose flower stem ...

and the

nymph A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...

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 (biology), family Smilacaceae, native through ...

. 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 In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

and

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

species. The

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are heart shaped and vary from 4–30 cm long in different species. Greenbrier is

dioecious Dioecy ( ; ; adj. dioecious, ) is a characteristic of certain species that have distinct unisexual individuals, each producing either male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproduction is ...

. However, only about one in three colonies have plants of both sexes. Plants flower in May and June with white–green clustered

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s. If

pollination Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma (botany), stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, for example bees, beetles or bu ...

occurs, the plant will produce a bright red to blue-black spherical

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the cul ...

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

about 5–10 mm in diameter that matures in the fall (autumn).

Extrafloral nectaries Nectar is a viscous, sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists, ...

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 Section, Sectioning, or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sig ...

, but

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

studies reveals that these morphologically defined subdivisions are not

monophyletic In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...

. Subdivision is best considered in terms of

clades In biology, a clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach to taxonomy ...

(A–D), corresponding to

biogeography Biogeography is the study of the species distribution, distribution of species and ecosystems in geography, geographic space and through evolutionary history of life, geological time. Organisms and biological community (ecology), communities o ...

, with the main divisions being Old World (clades C, D) and New World (clade B) with the exception of '' S. aspera'', that appears to be

sister A sister is a woman or a girl who shares parents or a parent with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to ref ...

to all other species (clade A) and has a tri-continental

disjunction In logic, disjunction (also known as logical disjunction, logical or, logical addition, or inclusive disjunction) is a logical connective typically notated as \lor and read aloud as "or". For instance, the English language sentence "it is ...

. Section ''Smilax'' includes " woody", prickly

vine A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Da ...

s of temperate North America, for example cat greenbrier ('' S. glauca'') and common greenbrier ('' S. rotundifolia'').FNAEC (2002) Section ''Nemexia'' includes unarmed

herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition o ...

s of temperate North America, for example "

carrion flower Carrion flowers, also known as corpse flowers or stinking flowers, are Mimesis (biology), mimetic flowers that emit an odor that smells like decomposition, rotting flesh. Apart from the scent, carrion flowers often display additional characterist ...

s" like the smooth herbaceous greenbrier ('' S. herbacea''). 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'' Conran * '' Smilax amblyobasis'' K.Krause * '' Smilax ampla'' Warb. ex K.Krause * '' Smilax anceps'' Willd. * '' Smilax anguina'' K.Krause * '' Smilax annulata'' Warb. ex K.Krause * '' Smilax aquifolium'' Ferrufino & Greuter * '' Smilax arisanensis'' Hayata * '' Smilax aristolochiifolia'' Mill. – American sarsaparilla * ''

Smilax aspera ''Smilax aspera'', with common names common smilax, rough bindweed, sarsaparille,Smilax aspericaulis''Wall. ex A.DC. * '' Smilax assumptionis'' A.DC. * '' Smilax astrosperma'' F.T.Wang & Tang * '' Smilax auriculata'' Walter * '' Smilax australis'' R.Br. – lawyer vine, barbwire vine, wait-a-while (

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

) * '' Smilax azorica'' H.Schaef. & P.Schönfelder * '' Smilax bapouensis'' H.Li * '' Smilax basilata'' F.T.Wang & Tang * '' Smilax bauhinioides'' Kunth * '' Smilax bella'' J.F.Macbr. * '' Smilax biflora'' Siebold ex Miq. * '' Smilax biltmoreana'' (Small) J.B.Norton ex Pennell * '' Smilax biumbellata'' T.Koyama * '' Smilax blumei'' A.DC. * '' Smilax bockii'' Warb. * '' Smilax bona-nox'' L. – saw greenbrier * '' Smilax borneensis'' A.DC. * '' Smilax bracteata'' Presl * '' Smilax brasiliensis'' Sprengel. * '' Smilax californica'' (A.DC.) A.Gray * '' Smilax calophylla'' Wall. ex A.DC. * '' Smilax cambodiana'' Gagnep. * '' Smilax campestris'' Griseb. * '' Smilax canariensis'' Willd. * '' Smilax canellifolia'' Mill. * '' Smilax celebica'' Blume * '' Smilax chapaensis'' Gagnep. * '' Smilax china'' L. * '' Smilax chingii'' F.T. Wang & Ts.Tang * '' Smilax cinnamomea'' Desf. ex A.DC. * '' Smilax cissoides'' M.Martens & Galeotti * '' Smilax cocculoides'' Warb. * '' Smilax cognata'' Kunth * '' Smilax compta'' (Killip & C.V.Morton) Ferrufino * '' Smilax corbularia'' Kunth * '' Smilax cordato-ovata'' Rich. * '' Smilax cordifolia'' Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd. * '' Smilax coriacea'' Spreng. * '' Smilax cristalensis'' Ferrufino & Greuter * '' Smilax cuprea'' Ferrufino & Greuter * '' Smilax cuspidata'' Duhamel * '' Smilax cyclophylla'' Warb. * '' Smilax darrisii'' H.Lév. * '' Smilax davidiana'' A.DC. * '' Smilax densibarbata'' F.T.Wang & Tang * '' Smilax discotis'' Warb. * '' Smilax domingensis'' Willd. * '' Smilax ecirrhata'' (Engelm. ex Kunth) S.Wats. * '' Smilax elastica'' Griseb. * '' Smilax elegans'' Wall. * '' Smilax elegantissima'' Gagnep. * '' Smilax elmeri'' Merr. * '' Smilax elongatoumbellata'' Hayata * '' Smilax emeiensis'' J.M.Xu * '' Smilax erecta'' Merr. * '' Smilax excelsa'' L. * '' Smilax extensa'' A.DC. * '' Smilax ferox'' Wall. ex Kunth * '' Smilax flavicaulis'' Rusby * '' Smilax fluminensis'' Steud. * '' Smilax fooningensis'' F.T.Wang & Tang * '' Smilax gagnepainii'' T.Koyama * '' Smilax gigantea'' Merr. * '' Smilax gigantocarpa'' Koord. * ''

Smilax glabra ''Smilax glabra'', sarsaparilla, is a plant species in the genus ''Smilax''. It is native to flora of China, China, the Himalayas, and Indochina. ''S. glabra'' is a traditional Chinese medicine, traditional medicine in Chinese herbology, whence ...

'' Roxb. – chinaroot, ' () * '' Smilax glauca'' Walter – cat greenbrier, glaucous greenbrier * '' Smilax glaucochina'' Warb. * '' Smilax glyciphylla'' Sm. – sweet sarsaparilla, native sarsaparilla (

) * '' Smilax goyazana'' A.DC. * '' Smilax gracilior'' Ferrufino & Greuter * '' Smilax griffithii'' A.DC. * '' Smilax guianensis'' Vitman * '' Smilax guiyangensis'' C.X.Fu & C.D.Shen * '' Smilax havanensis'' Jacq. * '' Smilax hayatae'' T.Koyama * '' Smilax hemsleyana'' Craib. * '' Smilax herbacea'' L. – smooth herbaceous greenbrier, carrion flower (southern

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Eastern United States The Eastern United States, often abbreviated as simply the East, is a macroregion of the United States located to the east of the Mississippi River. It includes 17–26 states and Washington, D.C., the national capital. As of 2011, the Eastern ...

) * '' Smilax hilariana'' A.DC. * '' Smilax horridiramula'' Hayata * '' Smilax hugeri'' (Small) J.B.Norton ex Pennell * '' Smilax hypoglauca'' Benth. * '' Smilax ilicifolia'' Desv. ex Ham. * '' Smilax illinoensis'' Mangaly – Illinois greenbrier * '' Smilax indosinica'' T.Koyama * '' Smilax inversa'' T.Koyama * '' Smilax irrorata'' Mart. ex Griseb. * '' Smilax jamesii'' G.Wallace * '' Smilax japicanga'' Griseb. * '' Smilax javensis'' A.DC. * '' Smilax kaniensis'' K.Krause * '' Smilax keyensis'' Warb. ex K.Krause * '' Smilax kingii'' Hook.f. * '' Smilax klotzschii'' Kunth * '' Smilax korthalsii'' A.DC. * '' Smilax kwangsiensis'' F.T.Wang & Tang * '' Smilax lanceifolia'' Roxb. * '' Smilax lappacea'' Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd. * '' Smilax larvata'' Griseb. * '' Smilax lasioneura'' Hook. – herbaceous greenbrier * '' Smilax lasseriana'' Steyerm. * '' Smilax laurifolia'' L. * '' Smilax lebrunii'' H.Lév. * '' Smilax leucophylla'' Blume * '' Smilax ligneoriparia'' C.X.Fu & P.Li * '' Smilax ligustrifolia'' A.DC. * '' Smilax loheri'' Merr * '' Smilax longifolia'' Rich. * '' Smilax lucida''Merr. * '' Smilax luei'' T.Koyama * '' Smilax lunglingensis'' F.T.Wang & Tang * '' Smilax lushuiensis'' S.C.Chen * '' Smilax lutescens'' Vell. * '' Smilax luzonensis'' Presl * '' Smilax macrocarpa'' Blume * '' Smilax magnifolia'' J.F.Macbr. * '' Smilax mairei'' Lev. * '' Smilax malipoensis'' S.C.Chen * '' Smilax maritima'' Feay ex Alph.Wood * '' Smilax maypurensis'' Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd. * '' Smilax megacarpa'' A.DC. * '' Smilax megalantha'' C.H.Wright * '' Smilax melanocarpa'' Ridl. * '' Smilax melastomifolia'' Sm. – ''hoi kuahiwi'' (

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

) * '' Smilax menispermoidea'' A.DC. * '' Smilax microchina'' T.Koyama * '' Smilax microphylla'' C.H.Wright * '' Smilax minarum'' A.DC. * '' Smilax minutiflora'' A.DC. * '' Smilax modesta'' A.DC. * '' Smilax mollis'' Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd. * '' Smilax moranensis'' Mart. & Galeotti * '' Smilax munita'' S.C.Chen * '' Smilax muscosa'' Toledo * '' Smilax myosotiflora'' A.DC. * '' Smilax myrtillus'' A.DC. * '' Smilax nageliana'' A.DC. * '' Smilax nana'' F.T.Wang * '' Smilax nantoensis'' T.Koyama * '' Smilax neocaledonica'' Schltr * '' Smilax nervomarginata'' Hayata * '' Smilax nigrescens'' F.T.Wang & Tang * '' Smilax nipponica'' Miq. * '' Smilax nova-guineensis'' T.Koyama * '' Smilax obliquata'' Duhamel * '' Smilax oblongata'' Sw. * '' Smilax ocreata'' DC. * '' Smilax odoratissima'' Blume * '' Smilax officinalis'' Kunth * '' Smilax orbiculata'' Labill. * '' Smilax ornata'' Lem. * '' Smilax orthoptera'' A.DC. * '' Smilax outanscianensis'' Pamp. * '' Smilax ovalifolia'' Roxb. * '' Smilax ovatolanceolata'' T.Koyama * '' Smilax pachysandroides'' T.Koyama * '' Smilax paniculata'' M.Martens & Galeotti * '' Smilax papuana'' Lauterb. * '' Smilax perfoliata'' Lour. * '' Smilax petelotii'' T.Koyama * '' Smilax pilcomayensis'' Guagl. & S.Gattuso * '' Smilax pilosa'' Andreata & Leoni * '' Smilax pinfaensis'' H.Lév. & Vaniot * '' Smilax plurifurcata'' A.DC. * '' Smilax poilanei'' Gagnep. * '' Smilax polyacantha'' Wall. ex Kunth * '' Smilax polycolea'' Warb. * '' Smilax populnea'' Kunth * '' Smilax pottingeri'' Prain * '' Smilax pseudochina'' L. - false chinaroot * '' Smilax pulverulenta'' Michx. * '' Smilax pumila'' Walter * '' Smilax purhampuy'' Ruiz * '' Smilax purpurata'' G.Forst. * '' Smilax pygmaea'' Merr. * '' Smilax quadrata'' A.DC. * '' Smilax quadrumbellata'' T.Koyama * '' Smilax quinquenervia'' Vell. * '' Smilax remotinervis'' Hand.-Mazz. * '' Smilax retroflexa'' (F.T.Wang & Tang) S.C.Chen * '' Smilax riparia'' A.DC. * '' Smilax rotundifolia'' L. - common greenbrier (Eastern United States) * '' Smilax rubromarginata'' K.Krause * '' Smilax rufescens'' Griseb. * '' Smilax ruiziana'' Kunth * '' Smilax salicifolia'' Griseb. * '' Smilax sanguinea'' Posada-Ar. * '' Smilax santaremensis'' A.DC. * '' Smilax saulensis'' J.D.Mitch. * '' Smilax schomburgkiana'' Kunth * '' Smilax scobinicaulis'' C.H.Wright * '' Smilax sebeana'' Miq. * '' Smilax setiramula'' F.T.Wang & Tang * '' Smilax setosa'' Miq. * '' Smilax sieboldii'' Miq. * '' Smilax sinclairii'' T.Koyama * '' Smilax siphilitica'' Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd. * '' Smilax solanifolia'' A.DC. * '' Smilax spicata'' Vell. * '' Smilax spinosa'' Mill. * '' Smilax spissa'' Killip & C.V.Morton * '' Smilax spruceana'' A.DC. * '' Smilax stans'' Maxim. * '' Smilax stenophylla'' A.DC. * '' Smilax subinermis'' C.Presl * '' Smilax subpubescens'' A.DC. * '' Smilax subsessiliflora'' Poir. * '' Smilax synandra'' Gagnep. * '' Smilax talbotiana'' A.DC. * '' Smilax tamnoides'' L. - halberd-leaved greenbrier * '' Smilax tetraptera'' Schltr * '' Smilax timorensis'' A.DC. * '' Smilax tomentosa'' Kunth * '' Smilax trachypoda'' J.B.Norton * '' Smilax trinervula'' Miq. * '' Smilax tsinchengshanensis'' F.T.Wang * '' Smilax tuberculata'' C.Presl * '' Smilax turbans'' F.T.Wang & Tang * '' Smilax utilis'' C.H.Wright * '' Smilax vaginata'' Decne. * '' Smilax vanchingshanensis'' (F.T.Wang & Tang) F.T.Wang & Tang * '' Smilax velutina'' Killip & C.V.Morton * '' Smilax verrucosa'' Griseb. * '' Smilax verticalis'' Gagnep. * '' Smilax vitiensis'' (Seem.) A.DC. * '' Smilax wallichii'' Kunth * '' Smilax walteri'' Pursh. * '' Smilax wightii'' A.DC. * ''

Smilax williamsii ''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 ...

'' Merr. * '' Smilax yunnanensis'' S.C.Chen * '' Smilax 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 Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. In

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, there are 80 species (39 of which are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Ecology

The berry is rubbery in texture and has a large, spherical seed in the center. The fruit stays intact through winter, when

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

s 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

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and Shoot (botany), shoots from its Node (botany), nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from ...

s, 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 Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...

. 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 Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity (alkalinity) of a soil. Soil pH is a key characteristic that can be used to make informative analysis both qualitative and quantitatively regarding soil characteristics. pH is defined as the neg ...

between 5 and 6. The seeds have the greatest chance of germinating after being exposed to a freeze. Kaniska canace on Smilax china 07i1804

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

predator Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common List of feeding behaviours, feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation ...

s who cannot enter the prickly tangle.

Deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...

and other

herbivorous A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically evolved to feed on plants, especially upon vascular tissues such as foliage, fruits or seeds, as the main component of its diet. These more broadly also encompass animals that eat n ...

mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

s will eat the foliage, as will some

invertebrate Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''spine'' or ''backbone''), which evolved from the notochord. It is a paraphyletic grouping including all animals excluding the chordata, chordate s ...

s such as

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

(

butterflies Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

and

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

s), which also often drink

nectar Nectar is a viscous, sugar-rich liquid produced by Plant, plants in glands called nectaries, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollination, pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to an ...

from the flowers. Beetles too are known to consume leaves. Among the Lepidoptera utilizing ''Smilax'' are

Hesperiidae Skippers are a group of butterflies placed in the family Hesperiidae within the order Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). They were previously placed in a separate superfamily, Hesperioidea, but have since been placed in the superfamily Papilion ...

like the water snow flat (''Tagiades litigiosa''),

Pieridae The Pieridae are a large family (biology), family of butterflies with about 76 genera containing about 1,100 species, mostly from Afrotropical realm, tropical Africa and Indomalayan realm, tropical Asia with some varieties in the more northern ...

like the small grass yellow (''Eurema smilax''), or moths like the peculiar and sometimes

flightless Flightless birds are birds that cannot fly, as they have, through evolution, lost the ability to. There are over 60 extant species, including the well-known ratites ( ostriches, emus, cassowaries, rheas, and kiwis) and penguins. The smal ...

genus '' Thyrocopa''. But particularly fond of greenbriers are certain

Nymphalidae The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species ha ...

caterpillars, for example those of: * '' Faunis'' – faun butterflies * ''Kaniska canace'' – blue admiral (on China smilax, '' S. china'') * ''Phalanta phalantha'' – common leopard (on '' S. tetragona'')

Uses

An extract from the roots of some species – most significantly Jamaican sarsaparilla (''S. ornata'') – is used to make the sarsaparilla drink and other

root beer Root beer is a North American soft drink traditionally made using the root bark of the sassafras tree '' Sassafras albidum'' or the vine of '' Smilax ornata'' (known as sarsaparilla; also used to make a soft drink called sarsaparilla) as the ...

s, as well as herbal drinks like the popular Baba Roots from

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

. 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 Asparagus (''Asparagus officinalis'') is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus ''Asparagus (genus), Asparagus'' native to Eurasia. Widely cultivated as a vegetable crop, its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. Description ...

, and the berries can be eaten both raw and cooked. Stuffed smilax pancake, or '' fúlíng jiābǐng'' (), is a traditional snack from the

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

region. '' S. glabra'' is used in

Chinese herbology Chinese herbology () is the theory of traditional Chinese herbal therapy, which accounts for the majority of treatments in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). A ''Nature'' editorial described TCM as "fraught with pseudoscience", and said that t ...

. 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 Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...

and are used as a traditional medicine for

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of pain in a red, tender, hot, and Joint effusion, swollen joint, caused by the deposition of needle-like crystals of uric acid known as monosodium urate crysta ...

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

n countries. ''

Köhler's Medicinal Plants ''Köhler's Medicinal Plants'' (or, ''Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen'') is a German herbal written principally by Hermann Adolph Köhler (1834–1879, physician and chemist), and edited after his death by Gustav Pabst. The work was first publishe ...

'' of 1887 discusses the American sarsaparilla ('' S. aristolochiifolia''), but as early as about 1569, in his treatise devoted to

syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms depend on the stage it presents: primary, secondary, latent syphilis, latent or tertiary. The prim ...

, the

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

n scholar Imad al-Din Mahmud ibn Mas‘ud Shirazi gave a detailed evaluation of the medical properties of chinaroot. Diosgenin, a

steroid A steroid is an organic compound with four fused compound, fused rings (designated A, B, C, and D) arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes t ...

sapogenin Sapogenins are aglycones (non-saccharide moieties) of saponins, a large family of natural products. Sapogenins contain steroid or other triterpene frameworks as their key organic feature. For example, steroidal sapogenins such as tiggenin, neo ...

, is reported from '' S. menispermoidea''. Other active compounds reported from various greenbrier species are parillin (also sarsaparillin or smilacin), sarsapic acid, sarsapogenin and sarsaponin. Due to the nectar-rich flowers, species like '' S. aristolochiifolia'', ''S. bona-nox'', ''S. tamnoides'' (''S. medica'' is a synonym for all three of these species) and '' S. officinalis'' are also useful

honey plant Honeybees often collect nectar, pollen, or both from the following species of plants, which are called honey plants, for making honey. This is not an exhaustive list of the flowering plant species Honeybees will visit. Acanthace ...

s. 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 England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, a type of beer called china-ale was made by infusing china-root (''S. glabra'') and

coriander Coriander (), whose leaves are known as cilantro () in the U.S. and parts of Canada, and dhania in parts of South Asia and Africa, is an annual plant, annual herb (''Coriandrum sativum'') in the family Apiaceae. Most people perceive the ...

seeds in ale.

Gallery

File:Smilax bona-nox.jpg, Smilax bona-nox File:Smilax aspera 1652.JPG, Smilax aspera File:Smilax aspera (leaf).jpg, Smilax aspera Image:Smilax china 08b2113.jpg, China smilax ('' S. china''), unripe fruit Image:Smilax herbacea.png, The "

", '' S. herbacea'' Image:Smilax melastomifolia 020808-0053.jpg, '' S. melastomifolia'', called ''hoi kuahiwi'' on

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * Mifsud, Stephen (2002): Wild Plants of Malta & Gozo �
Mediterranean Smilax
Retrieved October 2, 2008.

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q165315 Smilacaceae Liliales genera Root vegetables Stem vegetables Dioecious plants Plants with extrafloral nectaries ne:कुकुरडाइनो