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| Photo
by Renee Brecht |
Britton and Brown. See
credits below. |
| Botanical name: |
Smilax laurifolia
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| Common
name: |
Laurel
leaved greenbriar
|
| Synonomy: |
n/a
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| Group: |
Dicot |
| Family: |
Smilacaceae
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| Growth
Type: |
Subshrub
Shrub
Vine
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| Duration: |
Perennial
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| Plant
height: |
climbs; leaves evergreen, thick and
leathery, 3 prominent veins; 2-6 inches long, pointed on both ends;
upright angle to stem; petiole 1/8 to 1/4 inch
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| Flower
color: |
greenish to white
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| Flower
size: |
Few to many, small, greenish, in umbels in the leaf axis. |
| Flowering/fruiting time: |
Flowers late Summer. Fruits black,
clusters of 5-25, ripening in Fall in second season, about 14 months
after flowering.
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| Habitat: |
Swamps, bogs, and floodplains
|
| Heritage ranking if any: |
S3/S4
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| Misc.: |
USDA notes as a facultative wetland
species; usually (67-99%) found in wetlands.
Eflora.org notes: "
The stems of Smilax laurifolia are viciously armed."
Smilax
is an ancient Greek name for an evergreen oak; laurifolia refers to the
resemblance of the leaves to those of laurel.
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| Sources |
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