Ma mi kit, Miu wei cai
Smilax riparia

Family: Smilacaceae

What it is like

A vine. Mostly it grows each year but can keep growing from year to year in tropical places. It is a climber. The stems are branched. They are 1-2 m long. They can be slightly woody near the base. They can be smooth or hairy and hollow and pithy. The leaf stalk is 0.7-2 cm long with small wings. Tendrils are usually present. The leaf blade is usually oval and 7-15 cm long by 5-11 cm wide. There is one flowering stalk which is slender. It is 3-5 cm long. Flowers of both sexes occur. There are 5-20 flowers on the stalk. The flowers are yellow. The fruit are blue-black berries. They are 7-9 mm across. Some varieties have been described depending on the hairiness of the leaves and flowers.

There are about 300 Smilax species.

Where it is found

It it a temperate to subtropical plant. It grows in forests and grassy slopes from sea level to 2100 m altitude in China. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Pacific, Philippines, SE Asia, Taiwan

How it is used for food

The young leaves are parboiled and eaten.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Julnamul, Shiode

Synonyms

Smilax riparia var. ussuriensis (Regel) H. Hara & T.Koyama;