''Smilax australis'' (lawyer vine, austral sarsaparilla, barbwire vine, or "
wait-a-while") is a
vine in the family
Smilacaceae,
endemic to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. It has prickly climbing stems that are up to 8 metres long with coiled tendrils that are up to 20 cm long.
[ The glossy leaves have 5 prominent longitudinal veins and are 5 to 15 cm long and 3 to 10 cm wide.][Atlas of Living Australia, ''Smilax australis'' R.Br., Austral Sarsaparilla]
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Distribution
The species occurs in rainforest
Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...
, sclerophyll forest, woodland and heathland in the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria,[Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]
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See also
* Wait-a-minute tree Wait-a-minute tree, wait-a-bit tree, or wait-a-bit plant are common names for a variety of prickly plants that catch onto passers-by. These names come from the fact that the stems or other parts of the plant have numerous hooked thorns that tend to ...
References
Smilacaceae
Monocots of Australia
Flora of New South Wales
Flora of Queensland
Flora of Victoria (Australia)
Angiosperms of Western Australia
Plants described in 1810
Vines
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