Smilax australis
R. Br.
False sarsparilla, Austral Sarsparilla, Greenbrier
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(c) Craig Robbins, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Craig Robbins
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(c) Michelle Colpus, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Michelle Colpus, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Summary
Source: WikipediaSmilax australis (lawyer vine, austral sarsaparilla, barbwire vine, or "wait-a-while") is a vine in the family Smilacaceae, endemic to Australia. It has prickly climbing stems that are up to 8 metres long with coiled tendrils that are up to 20 cm long. The glossy leaves have 5 prominent longitudinal veins and are 5 to 15 cm long and 3 to 10 cm wide.
Description
A climber which scrambles widely. It can grow to many metres high. The stems are wiry and 0.5 cm across. They have some sharp prickly thorns. Plants are separately male and female. The leaves are alternate and smooth. They are broadly oval and leathery. The leaf blade is 5-14.5 cm long by 3.2-9.5 cm wide. Leaves are dark green above and paler underneath. There are 3-5 veins running along the leaf. The flowers are small and cream. They are about 0.3-0.6 cm across. Several occur together in the axils of leaves. The fruit is a smooth berry. It is 0.8-1 cm across. They are purple to black when ripe. There are 1-2 seeds inside.
Edible Uses
The ripe fruit are eaten fresh and have a slightly hot taste. They are used to make jams and jellies.
Traditional Uses
The ripe fruit are eaten. They have a slightly hot taste. They are used for jams and jellies.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. It grows naturally in coastal monsoon vine thickets. It grows above the beach or near streams. In tropical Queensland it grows from sea level to 1300 m altitude. Melbourne Botanical Gardens.
Where It Grows
Australia*, East Timor, Lord Howe Island, SE Asia, Timor-Leste,
Cultivation
Plants can be grown by seeds or cuttings. Seeds can take a few months to germinate.
Notes
There are about 300 Smilax species.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Barbed-wire vine, Dapu, Lawyer vine, Native sarsaparilla, Smilax
References (28)
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- Brock, J., 1993, Native Plants of Northern Australia, Reed. p 299
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- Cherikoff V. & Isaacs, J., The Bush Food Handbook. How to gather, grow, process and cook Australian Wild Foods. Ti Tree Press, Australia p 201
- Cooper, W. and Cooper, W., 2004, Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Nokomis Editions, Victoria, Australia. p 516
Show all 28 references Hide references
- Cowie, I, 2006, A Survey of Flora and vegetation of the proposed Jaco-Tutuala-Lore National Park. Timor-Lests (East Timor) www.territorystories.nt/gov.au p 52
- Cronin, L., 1989, The Concise Australian Flora. Reed. p 38
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- Hibbert, M., 2002, The Aussie Plant Finder 2002, Florilegium. p 291
- Hinton, B & B., 1982, A Wilderness in Bloom. Wildflowers of tropical Australia. p 22
- Jackes, B.R., 2001, Plants of the Tropics. Rainforest to Heath. An Identification Guide. James Cook University. p 82
- Jones, D.L. & Gray, B., 1977, Australian Climbing Plants. Reed. p 141
- Jones D, L, 1986, Ornamental Rainforest Plants in Australia, Reed Books, p 299
- Lazarides, M. & Hince, B., 1993, Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia, CSIRO. p 220
- Melzer, R. & Plumb, J., 2011, Plants of Capricornia. Belgamba, Rockhampton. p 389
- Morley, B.D., & Toelken, H.R., (Eds), 1983, Flowering Plants in Australia. Rigby. p 341
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- Paczkowska, G. & Chapman, A.R., 2000, The Western Australian Flora. A Descriptive Catalogue. Western Australian Herbarium. p 123
- Recher, P, 2001, Fruit Spirit Botanical Gardens Plant Index. www.nrg.com.au/~recher/ seedlist.html p 7 (?Smilax australiana)
- Ryan, M. (Ed.), 2003, Wild Plants of Greater Brisbane. Queensland Museum. p 115
- Smith, N. M., 1991, Ethnobotanical Field Notes from the Northern Territory, Australia, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 14(1): 1-65
- Wheeler, J.R.(ed.), 1992, Flora of the Kimberley Region. CALM, Western Australian Herbarium, p 989
- Wightman, G. & Andrews, M., 1991, Bush Tucker Identikit. Common Native Food Plants of Australia’s top end. Conservation Commission Northern Territory. p 54
- Wightman, G. M. & Andrews, M.R., 1989, Plants of Northern Territory Monsoon Vine Forests (Vol 1). Conservation Commission of Northern Territory. p 136
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Yallakool Reserve Plant List July 1, 2009 Off internet
- Yunupinu Banjgul, Laklak Yunupinu-Marika, et al. 1995, Rirratjinu Ethnobotany: Aboriginal Plant Use from Yirrkala, Arnhem Land, Australia. Northern Territory Botanical Bulletin No 21. Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory. p 70
