Heterosmilax gaudichaudiana

Family: Smilacaceae

What it is like

A climbing vine. The stems are woody. The leaf stalks is 1-3 cm long and has narrow wings for 1/3 its length. There are tendrils. The leaf blade is oval and 4-14 cm long by 2-13 cm wide. The flower stalk is 1-3.5 cm long. The flowers are in groups of 5-50. The flowers are red-purple. The fruit are purple-black berries. They are round and 0.8-1.2 cm across.

There are 12 Heterosmilax species in tropical and subtropical Asia. The Smilacaceae are woody climbers. Mostly they are in the tropics.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in dense forest and shrubby slopes along valleys between 600-1000 m altitude in S China.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Indochina, SE Asia, Taiwan, Vietnam

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

He si xiao ba qia

Synonyms

Smilax gaudichaudiana Kunth.; Heterosmilax gaudichaudiana var. hongkongensis (Seeman)A DC.; Heterosmilax gaudichaudiana var. latifolia Bodinier ex H. Leveille; Heteroslimax japonica Kunth. var. gaudichaudiana (Kunth.)F.T.Wang & Tang; Oligosmilax gaudichaudiana (Kunth.)Seeman; Smilax erythrantha Bailon ex Gagne.; Smilax hongkongensis Seeman; Smilax maclurei T.Koyama;