''Smilax pseudochina'' is a
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
herb in the
greenbriar family. It is commonly called bamboo vine or false chinaroot.
Its range extends up the
Atlantic Coast of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, from
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
in
New York State
New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
south to
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
.
[
]
Description
''Smilax pseudochina'' is a climbing herb
In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...
aceous vine which grows up to 2 meters (7 feet) tall, the thornless stems only live one year but will regrow the next. The stems have numerous tendril
In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape used by climbing plants for support and attachment, as well as cellular invasion by parasitic plants such as ''Cuscuta''. There are many plants that have tendr ...
s which twist around objects and help the plant climb. The leaves are glabrous
Glabrousness (from the Latin ''glaber'' meaning "bald", "hairless", "shaved", "smooth") is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of ...
and triangular to oval (ovate) shaped and may almost be hastate at the base and range from 5–12 cm long to 2–5 cm wide. The leaf edges are often straight or almost concave, this helps distinguish it from other ''Smilax spp.'' which typically have convex edges on the leaves. The stem is sometimes unbranched but may have a few branches. The flowers are dioecious
Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...
and greenish with 6 tepals. The flowers open in June and the berries mature in September. The berries are round, blue or black with a waxy coat and borne on long umbel
In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' "p ...
s axially from the upper leaves; these umbels contain from 10-35 flowers or fruits.[Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 475 ''Smilax pseudochina'' Linnaeus](_blank)
/ref>
Endangered status
False chinaroot is listed as extirpated
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...
in Pennsylvania, endangered in New York, and threatened in Maryland.
Uses
The Cherokees
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...
of North America would make fritters from the plant's fresh, macerated tuberous roots. After the roots had been ground and soaked in water, the water was decanted, and the root mash, after leaving it out to dry, was mixed with fine corn meal, made into a dough-like batter and then deep-fried in animal fat.[, s.v. Fritters Cherokee]
See also
* Chinaroot Chinaroot, china-root, or china root may refer to:
* '' Smilax glabra'', the traditional medicinal chinaroot
* ''Smilax china'', a related climbing plant also known as chinaroot
See also
* '' Smilax pseudochina'', the false chinaroot
* ''Smilax'', ...
References
External links
Plants of Southern New Jersey, Citizens United to Protect the Maurice RiverPlants for a Future
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15493361
Smilacaceae
Flora of the Eastern United States
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus