Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Liliales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Smilax pumila
FAMILY
Smilacaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Smilax pumila
FAMILY
Smilacaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Smilax pumila
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 041-02-012:
Smilax pumila FAMILY Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH The woody Smilaxes of the United States (Coker, 1944)
Smilax pumila
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Smilax pumila
COMMON NAME:
Dwarf Smilax, Sarsaparilla-vine
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_s_pumila_sarsaparilla
March
Berry bright red, ovoid, tapered to an obtuse beak, 1-seeded, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm090717_059
July Georgetown County SC
Hobcaw Barony
Stem woody, lacking prickles. Plant rarely greater than 0.5m tall, per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm090717_083
July Georgetown County SC
Hobcaw Barony
This unusual Smilax is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental ground-cover, per Weakley's Flora (2018).
)
JK Marlow jkm090717_083b
July Georgetown County SC
Hobcaw Barony
Leaves green and pilose to glabrate above, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm090717_087
July Georgetown County SC
Hobcaw Barony
Leaves white or grayish-white tomentose beneath, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
Sharleen Johnson shj_1214059299204683
December Charleston County SC
Francis Marion National Forest
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Smilax pumila
FAMILY
Smilacaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Smilax pumila
FAMILY
Smilacaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Smilax pumila
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 041-02-012:
Smilax pumila
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
The woody Smilaxes of the United States (Coker, 1944)
Smilax pumila
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Smilax pumila
1401
Trailing woody vine
Perennial
Dioecious
Habitat: Mesic to dryish hammocks and bluffs, sandy forests along streams, northward primarily in maritime-influenced mainland forests, per Weakley's Flora
Native to South Carolina & Georgia
Common in Coastal Plain (rare elsewhere)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Not armed
LEAVES:
Evergreen
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Fall
Yellowish
Radially symmetrical
6 tepals
6 stamens in staminate flowers
Superior ovary
Unisexual
Flowers in axillary umbels
FRUIT:
Winter/Spring
Red
Berry
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005) p292
- Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Wasowski & Wasowski, 1994, 2020) p113
- How to Recognize Shrubs (Grimm, 1966) p076
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p052
- Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Georgia (Chafin, 2007) p107
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p419
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p330
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