ORD. VIL. Sarmentacee. 161 
SMILAX SARSAPARILLA. SARSAPARILLA SMILAX. 
“f ; . ——————X—X—K—==_= 
SYNONYMA. Sarsaparilla. Pharm. Lond. & Edinb. Smilax 
aspera peruviana sive Sarsaparilla. Bauh. Pin. p. 296. Park. 
Theat. p. 173. Raii Hist. p. 656. Gerard. Emac. p. 856. Smilax 
caule angulato aculeato, foliis ovatis acutis inermibus. Roy. 
Lugdb. p. 228. Smilax viticulis asperis virginiana, folio hederaceo. 
Jeni Zarga nobilissima. Pluck. Phytogr. tab. 111. f. 2. 
Class Dioecia.. Ord. Hexandria. Lin. Gen. Plant. 1120. 
Ess. Gen. Ch. Masc. Cal. 6-phyllus. Cor. 0. 
Fem. Cal. 6-phyllus. Cor. 0. Styli 3.  Bacca 
S-locularis. Sem. 2. 
\ 
Sp. Ch. S. caule aculeato angulato, foliis inermibus ovatis retuso- 
mucronatis trinerviis. 
THE root is perennial, divided into several branches, which are 
somewhat thicker than a goose quill, straight, externally brown, 
internally white, and three or four feet in length: the stalks are 
shrubby, long, slender, scandent, or trailing, angular,. and beset 
with spines: the leaves are ovate, without spines, pointed, three- 
nerved, and stand alternately upon footstalks, at the base of which 
proceed long tendrils: the fiowers are male and female on different 
plants, lateral, and usually stand three or four together upon a com- 
mon peduncle: the calyx of the male flower is bell-shaped, divided 
into six segments, which are oblong, spreading, and reflexed at their: 
‘points: the filaments are six, simple, and ‘furnished with oblong 
anthere: the calyx of the female flower is similar to that of the 
‘male: there is no corolla, unless the calyx be considered as such: 
the germen is ovate, and.supports three minute styles, furnished 
with oblong reflexed hairy stigmata: the fruit is a round three— 
celled berry, containing two globular seeds, 
Nod# 3, 3: Qs 
