No. 25. Family LILlACE/G. (Lily Fam.) 

 Genus SMILAX, Tourn. (Green-Briar. Cat-Briar.) 



From a Greek word meaning " yew." 



Flowers, small (about one quarter inch or less in length), 

 green or yellowish (or in No. 3 S. Walteri, P. 

 brownish), in small clusters from the sides of the 

 branches ; the perianth (calyx and corolla) of six sim- 

 ilar divisions ; the staminate and pistillate forms 

 separate, on the same vine. Stamens, six, with line- 

 like or narrow filaments, inserted at the base of the 

 divisions. Stigmas, three (one in No. 9, S. laurifolia), 

 thick and spreading, and nearly stemless. Seed-case, 

 free, three-celled (one-celled in No. 9), with one or 

 two young seeds in each cell. 



Leaves, simple, alternate, entire or three-lobed, sometimes 

 with the edge and mid-vein minutely bristle-toothed, 

 strongly veined from base to apex, the veins more or 

 less nearly parallel, usually smooth. Leaf-stems in 

 most of the species kneed, and bearing at the bend a 

 pair of tendrils, which in this genus probably are 

 modified stipules. 



Fruit, rounded, black when fully ripe (except in No. 3, 

 S. Walteri, P.), one- to three- (mostly three-) celled, 

 one- to six- (mostly three-) seeded. A berry. 



Found, very widely distributed. 



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