Smilax aspera
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Photo: Bart Wursten
Rocha da Pena, Algarve Portugal
Photo: Bart Wursten
Rocha da Pena, Algarve Portugal
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| Synonyms: |
Smilax goetzeana Engl. |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | Local |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Climber or creeper. Hairless. Stems up to 15m long, 4-6-angled or terete, usually with some short prickles. Leaves alternate, triangular to ovate, 3-15 cm long, cordate, truncate, hastate or sagittate as the base, more or leass leathery, 2-4-veined from the base, with occasional short prickles on the midrib and veins; petiole 1-4.7 cm long, with a pair of tendrils at the base. Inflorescences axillary, 1.5-15 cm long with sessile umbels spirally arranged along the rhachis. Flowers on pedicels 1.5-9 mm long. Perianth segments linear-oblong to elliptic, 2-4 mm long, white, greenish, pink, yellowish or brownish, aromatic. Male flowers with 6 stamens, yellowish-green. Female flowers with 6 staminodes and a greeinish, ovoid ovary c. 2 mm long; style subsessile, stigmas 3. Fruit a berry 5-8 mm in diameter, globose, red or black when mature. |
| Type location: |
Unknown origin |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | aspera: rough |
| Habitat: | At edges of evergreen forest. |
| Altitude range: (metres) | 1 m |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, DRC, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia. Also in Mediterranean Europe, North Africa and Asia from Turkey to Tibet. |
| FZ divisions: | E |
| Zambian distribution (Provinces): | Mc |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Images last updated: | Thursday 15 August 2024 |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 368. Diniz, M.A. (2009). Smilacaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(2) Pages 200 - 201. Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1989). The flora and phytogeography of the evergreen forests of Malawi. I: Afromontane and mid-altitude forests; Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 59(1/2) Page 24. As Smilax goetzeana Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 137. as Smilax goetzeana White, F., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Chapman, J.D. (2001). Evergreen forest flora of Malawi Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Page 109. (Includes a picture). |
Other sources of information about Smilax aspera :
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Flora of Malawi: Smilax asperaExternal websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Smilax asperaAfrican Plant Database: Smilax aspera
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Smilax aspera
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Smilax aspera
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Smilax aspera
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iNaturalist: Smilax aspera
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Smilax aspera
JSTOR Plant Science: Smilax aspera
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Smilax aspera
Plants of the World Online: Smilax aspera
Tropicos: Smilax aspera
Wikipedia: Smilax aspera