''Smilax officinalis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family

Smilacaceae Smilacaceae, the greenbriers, is a family of flowering plants. While they were often assigned to a more broadly defined family Liliaceae, most recent botanists have accepted the two as distinct families, diverging around 55 million years ago dur ...

, native to southern Central America and northwest South America; Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador. A vine reaching as it climbs trees into the canopy, its roots are collected and used to make traditional medicines and, like other ''

Smilax ''Smilax'' is a genus of about 300–350 species, found in the tropics and subtropics worldwide. In China for example about 80 are found (39 of which are endemic), while there are 20 in North America north of Mexico. They are climbing flowering ...

'' species, the soft drink

sarsaparilla Sarsaparilla often refers to the sarsaparilla soft drink, made from Smilax plants. Sarsaparilla may also refer to: Biology *Several species of plants, of the genus ''Smilax'', including: **''Smilax ornata'', also known as Honduran or Jamaican sar ...

References

Smilacaceae Flora of Honduras Flora of Nicaragua Flora of Costa Rica Flora of Panama Flora of Colombia Flora of Ecuador Plants described in 1816 {{Liliales-stub