SMILACACEAE 



Peduncles of pistillate plants fully twice or four times as long as the 



petioles during anthesis. 

 Peduncles fully twice as long as the petioles in fruit : spines on 



lower part of stem numerous, bristle-like. 4. S. hispidn. 



Peduncles 3-4 times as long as the petioles in fruit : spines few, stout 



and rigid or almost wanting. 5. S. Pseudo-China. 



Peduncles of pistillate plants barely twice as long as the petioles. 6. S. Bona-nox. 



B. Peduncles of pistillate plants shorter than the petioles or barely surpassing them. 

 Leaf-blades entire or merely erose. 



Leaf-blades neither auricled nor dilated at the base. 

 Foliage glabrous. 



Bracts subtending the peduncles with blades rounded or cordate at 



the base. 

 Branches and lower leaf-surfaces not glaucous. 



Berries black or bluish black. 7. S. rotundifolia. 



Berries red. 8. S. Walteri. 



Branches and lower leaf-surfaces glaucous. 9. S. Smallii. 



Bracts subtending the peduncles with blades acute, acuminate, 



or cuneate at the base. 

 Berries red : leaf-blades mostly 5-7-nerved. 



Leaf-blades with lustrous upper surface: berries 4-6 mm. in 



diameter. 10. 5. lanceolata. 



Leaf-blades with dull upper surface : berries 6-10 mm. in diam- 

 eter. -11. S. Morongn. 

 Berries black : leaf-blades mostly 3-nerved. 



Leaf-blades over twice as long as broad : berries 4-6 mm. long. 12. S. laurifolia. 

 Leaf-blades never twice as long as broad : berries 6-8 mm. long. 13. S. lata. 

 Foliage pubescent. H. S.pumtta. 



Leaf-blades more or less strongly auricled at the base. 15. S. Beyrichii. 



Leaf-blades spiny-toothed. 16. S. Havanensis. 



1. Smilax glauca Walt. Stems terete, high-climbing, armed with straight or 

 slightly curved spines, the branches angled, commonly unarmed : leaf-blades broadly ovate, 

 3-1 5 cm. long, abruptly pointed or cuspidate, entire, glaucous beneath, 5-7-nerved, rounded 

 or cordate at the base ; petioles 6-12 mm. long : peduncles 1-3 cm. long : pedicels 6-12, 

 4-8 mm. long : sepals and petals greenish, linear-oblong or slightly broadened upward, 4 

 mm. long : anthers mostly shorter than the filaments : berries subglobose, mostly 6-8 mm. 

 in diameter, bluish black, lustrous under the glaucous coating. 



In sandy soil, Massachusetts to Kansas, Florida and Texas. Spring and early summer. 



2. Smilax cinnamomifolia Small. Stems high -climbing, sometimes 10-15 m. long, 

 sparingly armed with slender spines : leaf-blades lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, those on 

 vigorous shoots ample, normally 7-10 cm. long, acute or apiculate, entire, glaucous beneath, 

 cuneate to truncate at the base : stipular sheath about as long as the petiole, usually with 

 tendrils : peduncles much longer than the petioles, slender, sometimes 4-5 cm. long at 

 maturity : pedicels 5-10, 6-12 mm. long : sepals and petals greenish, linear-oblong or 

 slightly broadened upward, 4 mm. long : anthers mostly longer than the filaments : berries 

 subglobose, about 10 mm. in diameter, bluish black, lustrous under the glaucous coating. 



In woods and rich soil, Alabama and western Florida to Arkansas and Texas. Spring. 



3. Smilax renifblia Small. Stems elongated, climbing high over shrubs and trees, 

 more or less distinctly angled : leaves numerous ; blades reniform or deltoid-reniform, 3-7 

 cm. long, resembling those of Cercis, rounded and mucronate at the apex, entire, mostl 

 broader than long, subcordate at the base ; petioles 5-10 mm. long : stipular sheath fully 

 as long as the petiole, usually furnished with tendrils : peduncles of pistillate plants 10- r 

 mm. long, flattened, much longer than the petioles : pedicels 16-25, 2-3 mm. long : sepals 

 and petals 2 mm. long, acutish : berries black, subglobose. 



Along streams, southern Texas. Spring. 



4. Smilax bispida Muhl. Stems terete, 1-5 m. long, usually thickly armed, especi- 

 ally below, with slender, straight unequal bristle-like spines ; branches more or less angled, 

 sometimes unarmed : leaves numerous ; stipular sheath with broad, denticulate margins, 

 J-J the length of the petiole ; blades thinnish, broadly ovate or elliptic-ovate, 5-15 cm. 

 long, abruptly pointed or cuspidate at the apex, 7-9-nerved, lineo.late, usually erose-denticu- 

 late on the margins and nerves beneath, green on both sides, obtuse or subcordate at the 

 base or cuneate to the petioles : peduncles 2-5 cm. long, flattened : pedicels 10-26, slender, 

 4-8 mm. long: receptacle barely 2 mm. in diameter: sepals and petals greenish yellow, 

 those of the staminate flowers 4 mm. long : berries globose, about 6 mm. in diameter, often 

 5 or 6 together, bluish black. 



In thickets, in low or high rocky soil, Ontario to Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Louisiana 

 and Texas. Spring and summer. HAGBRIER. 



5. Smilax Pseudo-China L. Stems terete, often with few stout spines below ; 

 branches angled, sparingly armed, if at all : leaves various ; stipular sheath - the length 

 of the petiole ; blades firm or leathery at maturity, persistent, ovate or suborbicular, some- 



