Smilax lasioneura |
Smilax glauca |
|
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Blue Ridge carrion-flower |
cat greenbrier, glaucous-leaf Greenbriar, sawbrier, wild sarsaparilla |
|
Habit | Herbs. | |
Stems | annual, erect to ascending, branched, 2–2.5 m, herbaceous, glabrous; prickles absent. |
perennial, climbing, branching, green, often mottled, terete, to 5+ m, woody, glaucous, glabrous; prickles, when present, thin, 1–5 mm. |
Leaves | evenly distributed, proximalmost smaller, narrower; petiole 1.5–9 cm, shorter than blade; tendrils numerous, long, functional; blade not lustrous, pale green abaxially, ovate to round, 4–8 × 3–6 cm, not glaucous, pubescent abaxially, with transparent trichomes, base cordate, margins entire, convex, apex acuminate to rounded and cuspidate. |
deciduous to semi evergreen, ± evenly disposed; petiole 0.5–1.5 cm; blade green to glaucous-green, often mottled adaxially, silvery grayish abaxially, drying to brownish tan adaxially, broadly ovate, elliptic to reniform, with 3 (or 5) conspicuous veins, 4.5–11 × 2.5–6.6 cm, glabrous and glaucous abaxially, base truncate, subcordate, or attenuate, margins entire, apex rounded, tapering, or short-acuminate. |
Umbels | many, axillary to leaves, to 35-flowered, dense, globose; peduncle to 12+ cm, short. |
few to many, axillary to leaves, 5–12+-flowered, open, umbellate to hemispherical; peduncle 2–5 cm. |
Flowers | perianth greenish; tepals 35–45 mm; anthers equaling or shorter than filaments; ovules (1–)2 per locule; pedicel 0.5–1.5 cm. |
perianth yellow to bronze; tepals 3–7 mm; anthers longer than filaments; ovule 1 per locule; pedicel 0.5–1 cm. |
Berries | bluish black to black, subglobose, 8–10 mm, glaucous. |
blue to black, subglobose, 8–10 mm, shiny black at maturity, glaucous. |
Vines | ; rhizomes tuberous, or spinose, linear. |
|
2n | = 26. |
= 28, 32. |
Smilax lasioneura |
Smilax glauca |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Jun. | Flowering May–Jul. |
Habitat | Rich, alluvial woods, thickets, borders | Dry to wet woods, thickets, hedge- rows, roadsides |
Elevation | 300–700 m (1000–2300 ft) | 0–800 m (0–2600 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; ND; NE; NY; OH; OK; PA; SD; TN; TX; WI; WY; MB; ON; SK
|
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV
|
Discussion | Smilax lasioneura is primarily distributed in the central plains and lower elevations of the Appalachian and Rocky mountains. Plants distributed in the southern humid areas tend to be larger than those of more northern areas. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Smilax glauca is easily recognized by its glaucous to whitened abaxial leaf surfaces, which, however, may be altered by heat in drying. It is reportedly the most weedy species of the genus. The plants tend to be evergreen in the more southern part of the distribution. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 474. | FNA vol. 26, p. 473. |
Parent taxa | Smilacaceae > Smilax | Smilacaceae > Smilax |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Coprosmanthus lasioneuron, Nemexia herbacea subsp. melica, Nemexia lasioneura, Nemexia tenuis, S. diversifolia, S. herbacea var. inodora, S. herbacea subsp. lasioneura, S. herbacea var. lasioneura, S. tenuis | S. glauca var. leurophylla, S. spinulosa |
Name authority | Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 173, plate 187A. (1840) | Walter: Fl. Carol., 245. (1788) |
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