Giant sarsaparilla
Smilax ovalifolia

Family: Smilacaceae

What it is like

A twining shrub or climbing vine. It is armed with some prickles. The stems are branched. They can be 10 m long and are woody. The leaves are stalked. The stalks are 1.6-3 cm long and they have narrow wings for about half their length. Leaves are 10-20 cm long and 3.5-15 cm wide. They can be larger. They are oval and taper to the tip. There can be 1-3 flowering stalks together. They have 12-40 flowers each. The flowers are yellowish. The fruit is a berry and round. It is dark red and 0.9-1.2 cm across.

There are about 300 Smilax species.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. In Nepal plants grow to about 1400 m altitude. They grow in moist places in forested areas. In China it grows in forests from near sea level to 1500 m altitude in the south. In India it grows on the Deccan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Cambodia, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The tender shoots and leaves are cooked as a vegetable. They are used in curry. They are also pickled. The ripe fruit are eaten fresh. The root is used as a substitute for sarsparilla. It is used in medicine.

Edible parts

Leaves, fruit, roots, flowers

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed.

Its other names

Local names

Atkir, Bagh achura lota, Chob-chini, Daini lahara, Fupro, Ghotvel, Guti, Hana, Hok-a-paw, Jangli-aushbah, Kaiha, Kaltamara, Kamakua, Konda tamara, Kukurdaino, Kukurdiano, Kumarika, Kumbhi, Luan ye ba qia, Malaittamarai, Mitri, Nadar, Nirubetta, Pundi marang atikir, Ralbu, Ramdatan, Tamboli, Tao wanyang, Yorit

Synonyms

Smilax columnifera Buch.-Ham ex D.Don; Smilax macrophylla Roxb. non Willd.; Smilax prolifera Wall.; Smilax retusa Roxb.; and others