''Smilax herbacea'', the smooth carrionflower or smooth herbaceous greenbrier, is a

plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...

in the catbriar family. It is native to eastern

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(

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) and the eastern

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(as far south as

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and

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

). Its preferred natural habitat is rich forests, and riparian thicket and meadows.Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 473 Carrion-flower, Jacob’s-ladder, smilax herbacé, Smilax herbacea Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1030. 1753.
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Description

''Smilax herbacea'' is a

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 ...

with alternate, simple

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, ...

, on climbing stems. The flowers are green, borne in spring. The plant looks like asparagus when it first sprouts out of the ground. The plant can grow over 8 feet tall without support, but will eventually fall over unless it successfully finds external support. File:Picture of smilax flower as it develops.jpg, Flower in bud File:Smilax sprout at 2' height.jpg, Young sprout at 2' height File:Smilax herbacea.png, Line drawing showing floral details File:Early Smilax herbacea flower.jpg, flower prior to opening

Uses

Food

The species can be used as food when prepared in the same fashion as ''

Smilax bona-nox ''Smilax bona-nox'', the saw greenbrier, is a species of plant in the family Smilacaceae. It is native to the Southern United States, and eastern Mexico. Description ''Smilax bona-nox,'' also known as saw greenbrier, is a flowering vine that ...

'' and ''

Smilax rotundifolia ''Smilax rotundifolia'', also known as roundleaf greenbrier or common greenbrier, or bamboo vine in parts of the South,is a woody vine native to the southeastern and eastern United States and eastern Canada. It is a common and conspicuous par ...

''.

Ethnobotany

In traditional Ainu medicine, applications of the softened leaves were used for healing eye infections, skin eruptions, and wounds.

References

Smilacaceae Flora of Northern America Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{liliales-stub