Smilacaceae FAMILY

Smilax officinalis

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

4/5

Safety & Hazards

No known toxicity or side-effects have been documented for sarsaparilla; however, ingestion of large dosages of saponins may cause gastrointestinal irritation[ 318 Title Raintree Nutrition - Tropical Plant Database Publication Author Website http://www.rain-tree.com/plants.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Detailed information on the medicinal uses of more than two hundred rainforest plants, mainly from S. America, with basic descriptions of the plants, their other uses etc. ].

Botanical Description

Sarsaparilla is a perennial climbing plant that can produce prickly stems up to 50 metres long, with paired tendrils that attach themselves to other plants for support[ 318 Title Raintree Nutrition - Tropical Plant Database Publication Author Website http://www.rain-tree.com/plants.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Detailed information on the medicinal uses of more than two hundred rainforest plants, mainly from S. America, with basic descriptions of the plants, their other uses etc. ]. Sarsaparilla root is a popular medicinal herb, having been used by the peoples of central and southern America for many hundreds of years, and in Europe since the 15th century[ 318 Title Raintree Nutrition - Tropical Plant Database Publication Author Website http://www.rain-tree.com/plants.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Detailed information on the medicinal uses of more than two hundred rainforest plants, mainly from S. America, with basic descriptions of the plants, their other uses etc. ].The root is obtained from several different Smilax species, including this one. It is mainly gathered from the wild both for local use and for trade[ 318 Title Raintree Nutrition - Tropical Plant Database Publication Author Website http://www.rain-tree.com/plants.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Detailed information on the medicinal uses of more than two hundred rainforest plants, mainly from S. America, with basic descriptions of the plants, their other uses etc. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeNorthwest S. America - Ecuador, Colombia; C. America - Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras.

HabitatRainforests, where it often climbs high into the trees[ 318 Title Raintree Nutrition - Tropical Plant Database Publication Author Website http://www.rain-tree.com/plants.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Detailed information on the medicinal uses of more than two hundred rainforest plants, mainly from S. America, with basic descriptions of the plants, their other uses etc. ].