Smilacaceae FAMILY

Smilax laurifolia

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Smilax laurifolia is a viciously spiny, evergreen climbing shrub producing a cluster of branched stems from a tuberous rhizome; the stems can be 5 metres or more long. The plant can form extensive colonies[ 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 nd a medicine.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeSouth-eastern N. America - Oklahoma and Texas, east to Delaware and southern Florida; Caribbean - Bahamas, Cuba

HabitatSwamps and low ground[ 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. ]. Moist woods and thickets[ 235 Title An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Publication Author Britton. N. L. Brown. A. Publisher Dover Publications. New York. Year 1970 ISBN 0-486-22642-5 Description Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book. ]. Bays, bogs, pocosins, swamp margins, marshy banks[ 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. ].