The World Flora Online

SELECTED REFERENCES

Arber, A. 1920. Tendrils of Smilax. Bot. Gaz. 69: 438–442. Coker, W. C. 1944. The woody smilaxes of the United States. J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc. 60: 27–69, plates 9–39. Duncan, W. H. 1975. Woody Vines of the Southeastern United States. Athens, Ga. Fernald, M. L. 1944. Overlooked species, transfers, and novelties in the flora of eastern North America. Rhodora 46: 1–28, 32–60. Judd, W. S. 1998. The Smilacaceae in the southeastern United States. Harvard Pap. Bot. 3: 147–169. Mangaly, J. K. 1968. A cytotaxonomic study of the herbaceous species of Smilax: Section Coprosmanthus. Rhodora 70: 55–82, 247–273. Morong, T. 1894. The Smilaceae [sic] of North and Central America. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 21: 419–448. Pennell, F. W. 1916b. Notes on plants of the southern United States—II. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 43: 409–421.

Shrubs, herbs, or vines, perennial, rhizomatous. Stems erect or climbing, usually prickly, sometimes unarmed. Leaves opposite or alternate, prominently 3-veined, reticulate between veins, usually bearing tendrils, usually leathery. Inflorescences umbellate [or racemose or spicate]. Flowers unisexual, staminate and pistillate on different plants; tepals 6, distinct, rarely united into perianth tube; stamens 2–3-whorled, anthers 1-locular; pistillate flowers bearing staminodes, pistil 3-carpellate; ovary 2-locular, 1–2 ovules per locule. Fruits baccate. Seeds 1–3.

Lianes grêles ou arbustes, rhizomateuses, généralement dioïques, pérennes et glabres. Feuilles alternées, opposées ou verticillées, à odeur de charogne; base du pétiole à 2 structures (fausses stipules) qui se développent généralement en 2 longues vrilles; limbe entier, membraneux, curvinervé, à nervation secondaire réticulée. Inflorescence axillaire ou terminale, disposée en ombelles solitaires, en panicules ou en épis. Fleurs généralement unisexuées, parfois hermaphrodites, actinomorphes, pédicellées; tépales en 2 verticilles de 3, libres ou parfois soudés en tube. Fleurs mâles à 3, 6, 9 ou 12, parfois 15 ou 18 étamines, filets libres à soudés, anthères à déhiscence longitudinale. Fleurs femelles à 1-6 staminodes; gynécée épigyne, à 1 ou 3 carpelles, 3-loculaire, à placentation axillaire ou basaleet à 1 ou 2 ovules par loge; styles 3. Fruit bacciforme, rouge, pourpre ou noir. Graines 1-3, à albumen surabondant.

Staminodes present in the female flower Ovary superior, 3-locular; ovules 1-2 in each loculus, pendulous Seeds 1-3; embryo small in hard endosperm Fruit a berry Flowers dioecious or rarely bisexual, small, arranged in axillary umbels, racemes or spikes Leaves alternate or opposite, 3-nerved, reticulate-veiny between the nerves Stamens 6; filaments free or united; anthers apparently 1-locular by the confluence of the cells, introrse Perianth-segments 6, free or rarely united Shrubs, climbing or straggling, often with tendril-like petioles and prickly stems and branches; roots from an often stout rhizome; stems leafy Ovary superior, 3-locular; ovules 1-2 in each loculus, pendulous Seeds 1-3; embryo small in hard endosperm Fruit a berry Flowers dioecious or rarely bisexual, small, arranged in axillary umbels, racemes or spikes Leaves alternate or opposite, 3-nerved, reticulate-veiny between the nerves Stamens 6; filaments free or united; anthers apparently 1-locular by the confluence of the cells, introrse Perianth-segments 6, free or rarely united Shrubs, climbing or straggling, often with tendril-like petioles and prickly stems and branches; roots from an often stout rhizome; stems leafy

Fls trimerous, regular, unisexual or in some extralimital genera perfect; tep in 2 petaloid cycles, distinct or connate below; filaments variously free and distinct or borne on the perianth and sometimes connate into a column; ovary superior, trilocular or sometimes unilocular, with accordingly axile or parietal placentation; no septal nectaries; ovules 1–many in each locule or on each placenta; fr a berry with mostly 1–6 seeds; embryo mostly small, with a terminal cotyledon, axially embedded in the very hard endosperm; climbing, herbaceous or slenderly woody vines, or less often erect perennial herbs or branching shrubs, arising from creeping, often tuber-bearing rhizomes; lvs simple, mostly alternate, usually with a pair of tendrils arising from the petiole near its junction with the short stipular flange or open sheath; blade well developed and expanded, commonly with 3–7 "parallel," curved-convergent main veins connected by an evident network of smaller veins; vessels present in all vegetative organs; fls commonly in umbels or sets of umbels. 12 genera, all but Smilax small.

Stems and branches often aculeate Seed globose or lenticular; endosperm hard Robust, climbing or pendent shrubs, usually dioecious, glabrous, rarely pubescent; roots arising from compact rhizome Leaves alternate or opposite, petiolate, thin or coriaceous, curvinerved, with 3-7 main nerves Inflorescence of few-many-flowered umbels; umbels solitary, or arranged in racemes or spikes Modified stipules forming 2 caducous tendrils arising from distinct, persistent leaf-sheath at base of petiole Male flowers with 3 or 6(-15) stamens; filaments sometimes united into a column; anthers introrse; pistillode absent Flowers regular, unisexual; perianth-segments 6, free or rarely united Fruit a 1-3-seeded, globose or broadly obovoid berry Female flowers with 1-6 filiform staminodes; ovary superior, sessile, 3-locular; locules with 1-2 ovules; stigmas 3, recurved Seed globose or lenticular; endosperm hard Robust, climbing or pendent shrubs, usually dioecious, glabrous, rarely pubescent; roots arising from compact rhizome Leaves alternate or opposite, petiolate, thin or coriaceous, curvinerved, with 3-7 main nerves Inflorescence of few-many-flowered umbels; umbels solitary, or arranged in racemes or spikes Modified stipules forming 2 caducous tendrils arising from distinct, persistent leaf-sheath at base of petiole Male flowers with 3 or 6(-15) stamens; filaments sometimes united into a column; anthers introrse; pistillode absent Flowers regular, unisexual; perianth-segments 6, free or rarely united Fruit a 1-3-seeded, globose or broadly obovoid berry Female flowers with 1-6 filiform staminodes; ovary superior, sessile, 3-locular; locules with 1-2 ovules; stigmas 3, recurved