Directory       News       Site Map       Home
         
    Jepson eFlora: Taxon page
Key to families | Table of families and genera

Previous taxon Indexes to all accepted names and synonyms:
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Previous taxon

SMILACACEAE SMILAX FAMILY

Dale W. McNeal

[Perennial, shrub] vine, from rhizomes, stolons, or caudices, dioecious.
Stem: erect or climbing, generally prickly, scaly below, leafy above.
Leaf: simple, opposite or alternate, veins net-like between generally 3 stronger veins; petioles generally with 2+ tendrils near base.
Inflorescence: generally umbel [ raceme, spike].
Flower: perianth parts 6, in 2 petal-like whorls, free [rarely united], stamens 6, free (as staminodes in pistillate flowers); ovary superior, chambers 2 or 3, style ± 0, stigmas 3, ( pistils 0 or reduced, sterile in staminate flowers).
Fruit: berry, black, purple, blue, red [orange] (white).
Seed: 1–2/ chamber.
4(12) genera, 375 species: temperate, tropics. [Holmes 2002 FNANM 26:468–478] —Scientific Editor: Thomas J. Rosatti.

SMILAX GREENBRIER
Perennial; caudex generally large, tuber-like.
Stem: climbing or trailing, woody below or not, often prickly ± throughout.
Leaf: alternate, deciduous or persistent; base rounded to sagittate; petiole tendrils generally 2.
Inflorescence: umbels or clusters, axillary.
Flower: perianth parts white to ± green or ± yellow; ovary chambers generally 3, stigmas spreading.
Fruit: black, purple, blue, or red (white).
Seed: 1–6, black.
± 350 species: especially tropics, also temperate North America, e Asia. (Greek: origin uncertain) [Cameron & Fu 2006 Aliso 22:598–605]
Unabridged references: [Cameron, K. M. & C. Fu. 2006. A nuclear rDNA phylogeny of Smilax (Smilacaceae). Aliso 22:598–605]

Key to Smilax

S. californica (A. DC.) A. Gray
NATIVE
Vine; caudex short, knotty.
Stem: 2–5 m, ± woody; central pith 0.
Leaf: 5–10 cm, ovate, acuminate, dull green, abaxially not glaucous, base ± cordate.
Inflorescence: staminate generally 15–30-flowered; pistillate generally 15–35-flowered; peduncles 2–5 cm, drooping.
Flower: perianth parts ± 1.5 mm wide, reflexed from middle, linear.
Fruit: ± 6 mm, black.
Seed: 3.
n=16. Streambanks in conifer forest; < 1600 m. Northwestern California, Cascade Range Foothills, n Sierra Nevada Foothills; sw Oregon. May–Jun [Online Interchange]

Previous taxon: Smilax
Next taxon: Smilax jamesii

Contact/Feedback

Name search

Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].

Copyright © 2012 Regents of the University of California
We encourage links to these pages, but the content may not be downloaded for reposting, repackaging, redistributing, or sale in any form, without written permission from The Jepson Herbarium.


Bioregions in which taxon occursRed area (if present) is the part of the bioregion lying between the upper and lower elevation limits of the taxon;
markers link to CCH specimen records. If the markers are obscured, reload the page [or change window size and reload]. Yellow markers indicate records that may provide evidence for eFlora range revision or may have georeferencing or identification issues.
map of distribution 1

Chart based on elevation range in Manual and elevations and coordinates of CCH records.
Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria.
Note: About half of the CCH records include both elevation and coordinates.
Map made in collaboration with Scott Loarie. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria.
View all CCH records

 

CCH collections by month

Duplicates counted once; synonyms included.
Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa.
Blue line denotes Manual flowering time.