Smilax china is a climbing plant species in the genus Smilax. It is native to China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan (including Ryukyu and Bonin Islands), Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and India. It is also known as china root, china-root, or chinaroot, as is the related Smilax glabra.
Description
The stem is woody, sparsely prickly, and 1–5 m (3 ft 3 in – 16 ft 5 in) long. Petiole is 0.5–1.5 cm (0.20–0.59 in) long; leaf blade is elliptic to orbicular, 3–10 cm (1.2–3.9 in) long and 1.5–6 cm (0.59–2.36 in) wide, sometimes wider. Berries are red, globose, and 0.6–1.5 cm (0.24–0.59 in) in diameter.
Kaempferol 7-O-glucoside, a flavonol glucoside, can be found in S. china.
Habitat
In China, S. china occurs in forests, thickets, hillsides, grassy slopes, and shaded places along valleys or streams. It is found from near sea level to 2,000 m (6,600 ft).
References
External links
- Media related to Smilax china at Wikimedia Commons
