Smilax discotis

Warb.

Tuo bing ba qia

Smilacaceae Edible: Fruit 60 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Deciduous climbing vine reaching 7 m tall, hardy to UK zone 8. Flowers appear May to June, with seeds maturing in October. Dioecious species requiring both male and female plants for seed production. Tolerates light sandy to heavy clay soils, mildly acid to alkaline conditions, and semi-shade to full sun. Prefers consistently moist soil.

Description

A shrubby plant. The stem is branched. It is 0.5-3 m long. There can be a few prickles. The leaf stalk is 4-5 mm long and with broad wings. The leaf blade is 4-10 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. They can be larger. The flowering stalk is in the axil of a new leaf on a young branch. There are several flowers of both sexes. The flowers are yellowish-green. The fruit is a black berry 6-8 mm across,

Edible Uses

The black fruit, up to 8mm in diameter, is edible. No further details are recorded.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. In China it grows in shady places between 600-2100 m altitude. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Where It Grows

Africa, Asia, Britain, China, Egypt, Europe, France, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Malaysia, Mediterranean, Middle East, Netherlands, North Africa, SE Asia, Spain,

Cultivation

Succeeds in most soils in sun or semi-shade. Not very hardy in Britain, it tolerates temperatures down to about -10°c and succeeds outdoors in milder parts of the country. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Propagation

Sow seed in March in a warm greenhouse — though this guidance likely applies to tropical members of the genus. Seeds from plants of cooler regions appear to need a period of cold stratification, and some species can take two or more years to germinate. For temperate species, sow in a cold frame as soon as seed is received, or ideally as soon as it is ripe. When seedlings germinate, prick out into individual pots and grow on in a greenhouse for at least the first year, though keeping them in pots for two years is preferable. Plant out into permanent positions in early summer. Divide in early spring as new growth begins; larger divisions can go straight into permanent positions, while smaller ones are best potted up and grown on in a lightly shaded cold frame until well established, then planted out in summer. Cuttings of half-ripe shoots can be taken in July in a frame.

Other Uses

None known Special Uses

Notes

There are about 300 Smilax species.

Synonyms

S. china. non DC.

References (4)

Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 371
Chen Xinqi, Liang Songyun, Xu Jiemei, Tamura M.N., Liliaceae. Flora of China. p 32
L. Diels, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 29:256. 1900
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/