Smilacaceae FAMILY
Smilax officinalis
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[1].
Cultivation Details
HabitPerennial Climber
Growth—
The root, when used for medicinal purposes, is long and tuberous-spreading 180 - 250cm long. It is odourless and fairly tasteless[1].
Propagation
Seed - Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Smilax+officinalis>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Raintree Nutrition - Tropical Plant Database — http://www.rain-tree.com/plants.htm ↩︎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.