Smilacaceae Vent.

By: Sajan Subedi, Srijana Shah & Krishna K. Shrestha

Taxon Description 

Perennial climbing or erect shrubs. Rhizomes tuberous or stoloniferous. Stems terete, sometimes angular, smooth or rough, woody or herbaceous, with or without prickles. Branches straight or zigzag, with or without prickles. Petioles winged in basal part, wings free or clasping the stem, in climbing shrubs tendrils emerging from apex of wings. Leaves simple, alternate, variable in shape and size, costae 5 or 7, trinerved or triplinerved, veins net like between prominent main veins, often slightly shiny on upper surface and pale on lower surface. Inflorescence umbellate, stalked or sessile, umbels solitary or more than one, peduncle sometimes with a scale like prophyll at base, pedicels arising from flat to globular ‘receptacle’, bracts ovate to triangular to linear, bracteoles present, sometimes absent. Flowers small, unisexual, perianth 6, arranged in 2 whorls of 3 each, varying in color. Staminate flowers: inner and outer tepals differing in shape and size, stamens 6, rarely 3, filaments connate or free at base, anthers white to creamish white, varying in shape and size. Pistillate flowers: staminodes 2–6, stigmas mostly 3, rarely 2, ovary 3-loculed, ovoid to ellipsoid, 1 or 2 ovules per locule. Fruit a fleshy berry, green when young, red, purple to black at maturity. Seeds dark brown, 1—3,.

Taxon Statistics

Worldwide a single genus and about 260 species throughout tropical to temperate regions. One genus (Smilax) and 16 species in Nepal.