Smilax megacarpa (PROSEA)

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Plant Resources of South-East Asia
Introduction

List of species

Smilax megacarpa A. DC.

Protologue: Monogr. phan. 1: 186 (1878).

Family: Smilacaceae

Vernacular names

Malaysia: akar kelona, akar banar, akar rebanar, akar lampu bukit (Peninsular)
Laos: kh'u:a hmu: 'wa:k, kê:ng hmu: (Louang Prabang), khua:ng th'ô:n (Vientiane)
Vietnam: cam ích (Quang Nam Da Nang), kim cang (Sông Bé), dây man ết (Quang Nam Da Nang), kim cang trái to, cậm cang qủa to

Distribution

India, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Hainan, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore; possibly also Java, Borneo and the Moluccas.

Uses

The red rhizomes are eaten in Peninsular Malaysia. Fruits may also be edible. In Laos the plant is used against coughs and used as a medicine for women after childbirth.

Observations

Climbing rhizomatous shrub, 2-6 m long, with terete stems, armed with prickles.
Leaves very variable, ovate to broadly elliptic, 6-27 cm × 2-15 cm, subcoriaceous, petiole up to 5 cm long, wings of petiolar sheaths rather weakly developed, tendrils up to 25 cm long.
Inflorescence with 2-3 umbels.
Fruit a juicy berry, 1.5-2 cm in diameter, dark red or purple at maturity.

S. megacarpa occurs locally frequent in evergreen forest up to 1200 m altitude, in Malesia also in bushes in open country.

Selected sources

[20]Burkill, I.H., 1935. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. 2 volumes. Crown Agents for the Colonies, London, United Kingdom. 2402 pp.
[202] Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Revised reprint. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol. 1 (A-H) pp. 1-1240. Vol. 2 (I-Z) pp. 1241-2444.
[27]Corner, E.J.H. & Watanabe, K., 1969. Illustrated guide to tropical plants. Hirokawa Publishing Co., Tokyo, Japan. 1147 pp.
[33]Flore du Cambodge, du Laos et du Vietnam [Flora of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam] (various editors), 1960– . Vol. 1–24. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Laboratoire de Phanérogamie, Paris, France.
[49]Jacquat, C., 1990. Plants from the markets of Thailand. Editions Duang Kamol, Bangkok, Thailand. 251 pp.
[779] Koyama, T., 1960. Materials toward a monograph of the genus Smilax. Quarterly Journal of the Taiwan Museum 13: 1-62.
[780] Koyama, T., 1975. Smilacaceae. In: Smitinand, T. & Larsen, K. (Editors): Flora of Thailand. Vol. 2. The Forest Herbarium, Royal Forest Department, Bangkok, Thailand. pp. 211-250.
[1227] Ridley, H.N., 1922-1925. The flora of the Malay Peninsula. 5 volumes. Government of the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States. L. Reeve & Co, London, United Kingdom.
[1356] Siemonsma, J.S. & Kasem Piluek (Editors), 1993. Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 8. Vegetables. Pudoc Scientific Publishers, Wageningen, the Netherlands. 412 pp.
[84]Smitinand, T. & Larsen, K. (Editors), 1970– . Flora of Thailand. Vol. 2, 3, 4 (1, 2), 5 (1, 2). The Forest Herbarium, Royal Forest Department, Bangkok, Thailand.

Main genus page

Smilax (Medicinal plants)

Authors

Stephen P. Teo