Smilax glabra

Uses

Root - cooked^[2]^[7]. It can be dried and ground into a powder. The root contains nearly 70% starch^[9]. Fruit^[7]. The fruit is up to 10mm in diameter^[11]. No more details are given.

Plant part: Fruit

Plant part: Root

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

The aerial tubers are used in the treatment of abscesses, boils, cystitis, diarrhoea etc^[9]. The rhizome is antiarthritic, antiscrophulatic, depurative, skin, stomachic^[4]^[5]^[6]. It has been used in the treatment of cancer, mercury poisoning, acute bacterial dysentery, rheumatoid arthritis and syphilis^[4]^[5]^[6]^[9]^[10]. It is said to be clinically 90% effective in the treatment of primary syphilis^[9].

Product or use: Cancer

Product or use: Skin

Product or use: Stomachic

Product or use: VD

Environment

Range

E. Asia - China to the Himalayas.

Habitat

Thickets in uplands, W. China^[3]^[4]. Forests, thickets, thinly forested slopes along valleys, river banks at elevations of 300 - 1800 metres^[11].

Light

full sun

Shade tolerance

light shade

Water

moderate

Soil textures

sandy, loamy, clay

Soil pH

acid, neutral, alkaline

Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil

Drought

intolerant

Propagation

Seed - sow March in a warm greenhouse^[1]. This note probably refers to the tropical members of the genus, seeds of plants from cooler areas seem to require a period of cold stratification, some species taking 2 or more years to germinate[K]. We sow the seed of temperate species in a cold frame as soon as we receive it, and would sow the seed as soon as it is ripe if we could obtain it then[K]. When the seedlings eventually germinate, prick them out into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first year, though we normally grow them on in pots for 2 years. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Division in early spring as new growth begins^[10]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer. Cuttings of half-ripe shoots, July in a frame^[10].

Cultivation

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of the country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in most soils in sun or semi-shade^[8]. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

References

F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

↩

Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

↩

Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae.

↩

? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X

↩1 ↩2 ↩3

Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.

↩1 ↩2

Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985-00-00