Smilax glaucophylla

Family: Smilacaceae

What it is like

A thorny climber. The branches are flat and zigzag. The leaves are stalked. The leaves are 1.5-3.5 cm long by 0.4-0.8 cm wide. They are oval to sword shaped and taper to the tip. There are 3-5 veins and covered with a waxy bloom underneath. The base is rounded. The flowers are greenish in few flowered heads.

There are about 300 Smilax species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. In Nepal it grows between 1500-2700 m altitude. It trails on bushes in the forest.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Himalayas, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Tibet

How it is used for food

The tender leaves and shoots are cooked and eaten.

They are a famine food.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed.

Its other names

Local names

Chatalang, Kukardara, Shondlu-ri-lo

Synonyms

Smilax elegans Wall. ex Kunth. & DC not Wall. ex Hook.f. (See Smilax meinspermoides) Smilax longibracteata Hook.f.; Smilax parvifolia Wall. ex Hook.f.;