Smilax lanceifolia
Family: Smilacaceae
What it is like
This plant is possibly Smilax lanceaefolia. Smilax lanceifolia does not appear in the IPNI database.
Smilax lanceifolia is a deciduous Climber growing to 2 m (6ft 7in). It is in flower from September to March, and the seeds ripen from November to March. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). . The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 2
Where it is found
Forests, forest margins, thickets, shaded places on slopes at elevations of 100 - 2800 metres.
E. Asia - W. China.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Tender young shoots and leaves - cooked as a vegetable. Ripe fruits - raw.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The juice off the fresh root is taken internally in the treatment of rheumatism, whilst the residue of the root is applied externally to the affected parts.
Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of the country. An extremely variable species, it has been subdivided into a number of subspecis. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in most soils in sun or semi-shade. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Propagating it: Seed - sow March in a warm greenhouse. This note probably refers to the tropical members of the genus, seeds of plants from cooler areas seem to require a period of cold stratification, some species taking 2 or more years to germinate. 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. When the seedlings eventually germinate, prick them out into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first year, though we normally grow them on in pots for 2 years. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Division in early spring as new growth begins. 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 in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer. Cuttings of half-ripe shoots, July in a frame.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;
Habit: Climber
Hardiness:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist