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Useful Tropical Plants

Smilax glyciphylla

Sm.

Smilacaceae


This taxon has sometimes been spelled Smilax glycophylla[
286
Title
Flora of Australia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource.
]. The authorship is sometimes attributed to J.White.

+ Synonyms

Common Name: Sweet Sarsparilla

No Image.

General Information

Smilax glyciphylla is an unarmed, evergreen climbing shrub producing a clump of stems from a tuberous rootstock. The stems can be 5 metres or more long, they climb into the surrounding vegetation, attaching themselves by means of tendrils[
286
Title
Flora of Australia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. The plant is sometimes cultivated[
286
Title
Flora of Australia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource.
]. This report does not make it clear if it is cultivated as an ornamental or medicinal plant.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

286
Title
Flora of Australia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource.
,
365
Title
Flora of New South Wales
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/floraonline.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line resource giving a brief botanical description of all the native plants of New South Wales, their habitat and range, together with diagrams and photographs of the plants.

Range

Australia - eastern New South Wales, northern and eastern Queensland.

Habitat

Valleys in humid positions along the coast[
152
Title
Australian Medicinal Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T.
Publisher
New Holland Publishers
Year
2001
ISBN
1876334703
Description
A very good and readable guide to the subject.
]. Lowland, upland and mountain rain forest; at elevations up to 1,500 metres[
713
Title
Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Climber
Height5.00 m
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Smilax glyciphylla is native to much of coastal eastern Australia from the tropics of northern Queensland to the warm temperate climate of eastern New South Wales. It is known to experience frost in parts of its range and is said to tolerate short periods with temperatures down to at least -7°c[
157
Title
Australian Native Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M.
Publisher
Collins. (Australia)
Year
1988
ISBN
0-7322-0021-0
Description
A lovely book, written in order to encourage Australian gardeners to grow their native plants. A little bit of information for the plant project.
].
Succeeds in most soils in sun or semi-shade[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
This species was one of the earliest medicinal plants to be used by Europeans in Australia, and its value as a tonic and a scurvy preventative was recorded in 1790[
713
Title
Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest.
].
A dioecious species - both male and female forms must be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Edible Uses

The leaves are refreshing to chew[
157
Title
Australian Native Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M.
Publisher
Collins. (Australia)
Year
1988
ISBN
0-7322-0021-0
Description
A lovely book, written in order to encourage Australian gardeners to grow their native plants. A little bit of information for the plant project.
].

The leaves are used as a tea substitute[
2
Title
Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
Publication
 
Author
Hedrick. U. P.
Publisher
Dover Publications
Year
1972
ISBN
0-486-20459-6
Description
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
152
Title
Australian Medicinal Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T.
Publisher
New Holland Publishers
Year
2001
ISBN
1876334703
Description
A very good and readable guide to the subject.
,
177
Title
Plants for Human Consumption.
Publication
 
Author
Kunkel. G.
Publisher
Koeltz Scientific Books
Year
1984
ISBN
3874292169
Description
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
]. A drink that is both sweet and bitter at the same time[
713
Title
Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest.
].

A sugar substitute[
152
Title
Australian Medicinal Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T.
Publisher
New Holland Publishers
Year
2001
ISBN
1876334703
Description
A very good and readable guide to the subject.
]. The part used is not specified.

Medicinal

The leaves are alterative, antiscorbutic, diuretic, pectoral, tonic[
152
Title
Australian Medicinal Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T.
Publisher
New Holland Publishers
Year
2001
ISBN
1876334703
Description
A very good and readable guide to the subject.
]. They are applied topically to clear skin problems[
1884
Title
Phytochemical Profile and Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Medicinal Plants Used by Aboriginal People of
Publication
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Volume 2016, Article ID 4683059, 14 pages
Author
Akter K. et al
Website
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/4683059
Publisher
 
Year
2016
ISBN
 
Description
 
]

The leaves, combined with the black fruits, are considered to have blood cleansing and tonic actions. They are used to treat aches, pains, rheumatism, general sickness, coughs, colds, congestion, and scurvy[
1884
Title
Phytochemical Profile and Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Medicinal Plants Used by Aboriginal People of
Publication
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Volume 2016, Article ID 4683059, 14 pages
Author
Akter K. et al
Website
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/4683059
Publisher
 
Year
2016
ISBN
 
Description
 
]

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in individual containers in a lightly shaded position. This species has a range from the temperate zone to the tropics - seed of species from cooler areas seem to require a period of cold stratification, some species taking 2 or more years to germinate[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
]. We sow the seed of temperate species in a cold frame as soon as we receive it, and would sow the seed as soon as it is ripe if we could obtain it then[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
]. The seed can be very slow to germinate.
Division as new growth begins[
238
Title
Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.
Publication
 
Author
Bown. D.
Publisher
Dorling Kindersley, London.
Year
1995
ISBN
0-7513-020-31
Description
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position until ready to plant out.
Cuttings of half-ripe shoots[
238
Title
Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.
Publication
 
Author
Bown. D.
Publisher
Dorling Kindersley, London.
Year
1995
ISBN
0-7513-020-31
Description
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Smilax+glyciphylla>

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