Smilax herbacea

Smilax herbacea
Smilax herbacea[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Liliales
Family:	Smilacaceae
Genus:	Smilax
Section:	Nemexia
Species:	S. herbacea
Binomial name
Smilax herbacea L.
Synonyms[2]
Synonymy Coprosmanthus herbaceus (L.) Kunth Nemexia herbacea (L.) Small Smilax peduncularis Muhl. ex Willd. Nemexia cerulea Raf. Nemexia nigra Raf. Smilax longifolia P.Watson 1825, not Rich. 1792 Smilax watsonii Sweet Coprosmanthus consanguineus Kunth Coprosmanthus peduncularis (Muhl. ex Willd.) Kunth

Smilax herbacea, the smooth carrionflower^[3] or smooth herbaceous greenbrier, is a plant in the catbriar family. It is native to eastern Canada (Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick) and the eastern United States (as far south as Georgia and Alabama).^[4][5]

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  Smilax flower as it develops looks similar to a broccoli floret.

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  Smilax sprout at 2' height

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  Smilax view showing height of 8 feet or greater possible

Description

Smilax herbacea is a vine with alternate, simple leaves, on climbing stems. The flowers are green, borne in spring. The plant at first 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. As flowers start to develop, at first they look similar to small broccoli florets on thin stems.^[6]

References

1. Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. Vol. 1: 527.
2. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
3. "Smilax herbacea". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
4. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
5. Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
6. Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 473 Carrion-flower, Jacob’s-ladder, smilax herbacé, Smilax herbacea Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1030. 1753.