Smilax sieboldii
Miq.
Hua dong ha qia, Smilax
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Summary
An evergreen climbing vine reaching 2m, maintaining foliage year-round. Flowers June to July with seeds ripening in October. Accommodates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with mildly acid to basic pH. Grows in semi-shaded woodland or full sun, preferring moist conditions. Dioecious species requiring both male and female plants for seed set.
Description
A climbing vine. The stems are branched. They are 1-2 m long, They are fairly woody. The stem and branches have black needle like prickles. The leaf stalk is 1-2 cm long and has narrow wings for half its length. Tendrils occur. The leaf blade is oval and 3-9 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. The leaf is soft. The flowering stalk has one group of 3-8 flowers of both sexes. The flowers are yellowish-green. The fruit is a blue-black berry. It is round and 6-7 mm across.
Edible Uses
Leaves and young shoots can be cooked and eaten.
Medicinal Uses
None known.
Distribution
It is a temperate plant. It grows in forests and thickets on grassy slopes from sea level to 1800 m altitude of higher.
Where It Grows
Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan,
Cultivation
Succeeds in most soils in sun or semi-shade. 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 cooler-climate plants appear to need cold stratification, with some species taking 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. Once seedlings germinate, prick out into individual pots when large enough to handle and grow on under glass for at least the first year — normally two years in pots — before planting into permanent positions in early summer. Divide in early spring as new growth begins; larger divisions can go directly into permanent positions, while smaller ones are best potted up and grown on in a lightly shaded cold frame until established, then planted out in summer. Cuttings of half-ripe shoots can be taken in July and rooted in a frame.
Other Uses
None known.
Notes
There are about 300 Smilax species.
Synonyms
References (6)
- Chen Xinqi, Liang Songyun, Xu Jiemei, Tamura M.N., Liliaceae. Flora of China. p 29
- Hwang, H., et al, 2013, A Study on the Flora of 15 Islands in the Western Sea of Jeollanamdo Province, Korea. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity Vol. 6, No. 2 281-310 (as f. inermis)
- Hwang, HS, et al, 2014, Distribution characteristics of plant in the Ungseokbong Mountain, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity. 7(2014) e164-e178
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- READ,
Show all 6 references Hide references
- Versl. Med. Kon. Akad. Wetensch. Ii. 2:87. 1869
