Smilacaceae FAMILY

Smilax bona-nox

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Smilax bona-nox is an evergreen, climbing shrub producing a cluster of prickly stems from rhizomes that are tuberous, woody or stoloniferous. The stems can be 5 metres or more long, often scrambling and occurring in very dense, tangled masses[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeSouth-eastern N. America - Oklahoma to New Jersey, south to Texas and Florida; eastern and southern Mexico; Caribbean - Bermuda

HabitatDry to moist soils, sand dunes, fields, clearings and thickets[ 43 Title Gray's Manual of Botany.Eighth Edition Publication Author Fernald. M. L. Publisher American Book Co.; New York Year 1950 ISBN 0442222505 Description A bit dated but a good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America. ]. Well-drained to wet areas in woods, fields, thickets, hedgerows, floodplain forests, growing in full to partial sun; at elevations from sea level to 1,000 metres[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ].