Smilax verticalis (PROSEA)

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Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Smilax verticalis Gagnepain

Protologue: Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. 81: 74 (1934).

Synonyms

• Smilax simulans T. Koyama (1967).

Vernacular names

• Cambodia: voë më:m thnam chön (Koh Kong), voë pâpâhs (Pursat)
• Laos: kh'a:ng lua:yx, khua:ng th'ô:n (Vientiane), khua:ng no:yz (Savannakhet)
• Thailand: khrua daao (northern)
• Vietnam: kim chang dứng.

Distribution

Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand.

Uses

Rhizomes and leaves are used in local medicine in Cambodia and Laos.

Observations

• A sub-erect to straggling slender shrub up to 2 m tall, somewhat tufted at base with smooth or sparsely prickly stem and branches.
• Leaves elliptical to ovate-elliptical, ovate or lanceolate-oblong, up to 15(-18) cm long, petiole up to 2 cm long, wings of petiolar sheaths not well developed, tendrils absent or short.
• Inflorescence with 1-2 umbels.
• Fruit 8 mm in diameter, reddish at maturity.

S. verticalis occurs in shrub savanna and open forest up to 1000 m altitude.

Selected sources

• [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.

Main genus page

• Smilax (Medicinal plants)

Authors

• Stephen P. Teo