Smilax anceps
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Photo: Bart Wursten
Ndundu Lodge, Vumba
Photo: Bart Wursten
Ndundu Lodge, Vumba
Photo: Bart Wursten
Tiger Kloof, Mutare
Photo: Bart Wursten
Bridal Veil Falls, Chimanimani
Photo: Bart Wursten
Road from Mt Selinda to Espungabera border post
Photo: Bart Wursten
Near Chalet 2, Chirinda Forest
Photo: Bart Wursten
Pungwe River at Katiyo Tea Estate
Photo: Bart Wursten
Slopes of "Mte Chimanimani", western side Mevumodzi Valley above Eastern Lakes, Chimanimani Mts.
Photo: Bart Wursten
On ridge above Cavalo, Sanjunjira, Mt Gorongosa
Photo: Bart Wursten
On ridge above Cavalo, Sanjunjira, Mt Gorongosa
Photo: Bart Wursten
Nhago Camp, Coutada 12
Photo: Bart Wursten
Nhago Camp, Coutada 12
Photo: Bart Wursten
Nhago Camp, Coutada 12
Photo: Bart Wursten
Nhago Camp, Coutada 12
Photo: Bart Wursten
Along path to Mt Binga before "Mosquito Camp", Chimanimani National Reserve
Photo: Bart Wursten
La Rochelle Botanic Garden, Penhalonga
Photo: Bart Wursten
Mt Gorongosa
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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)
| Synonyms: |
Smilax kraussiana Meisn. Smilax mossambicensis Garcke |
| Common names: | Smilax (English) Wild sarsaparilla (English) |
| Frequency: | Locally common |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
A vigorous scrambling vine. Stems up to 5 m long, tough, fibrous, armed with numerous hooked prickles and paired coiled tendrils at the base of the leaf petioles. Leaves alternate, ovate, elliptic to almost circular, 4-14 cm long, more or less thickly leathery, 2-3 pairs of veins along each side of the midrib and net-veining between these veins; margin entire; petiole 0.5-2.5 cm long, thickened, channeled above. Inflorescences many-flowered axillary globose umbels; peduncle up to 3 cm long with 2 ovate bracts near the middle, up to 5 mm long. Flowers unisexual in the same inflorescence; perianth segments 3-5 mm long, recurved, greenish-white, yellowish or brownish. Fruit a globose berry, 8-10 mm in diameter, purplish to black when ripe. |
| Type location: |
Mauritius |
| Notes: | Together with brambles (Rubus spp.) it often renders areas near-impenetrable and unpopular with hikers. |
| Derivation of specific name: | anceps: 2-edged or 2-headed |
| Habitat: | It is a typical constituent of the transitional ecotone between forest and grassland, where it can cover other vegetation. |
| Altitude range: (metres) | Up to 2400 m |
| Flowering time: | Aug - Jan |
| Worldwide distribution: | Widespread in tropical Africa, Eswatini, South Africa, Madagascar, Comores, Mauritius, Seychelles and Reunion. |
| FZ divisions: | N,Z,MS,GI,M |
| Growth form(s): | Climber, shrub over 2 m. |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | Pseudoradiarctia scita (Larval food plant) Heliophisma klugii (Larval foodplant) Grammodes bifasciata (Larval foodplant) |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Images last updated: | Tuesday 25 February 2020 |
| Literature: |
Bandeira, S., Bolnick, D. & Barbosa, F. (2007). Wild Flowers of Southern Mozambique Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique Pages 64 - 65. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 368. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 51. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 142. Diniz, M.A. (2009). Smilacaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(2) Pages 198 - 200. (Includes a picture). Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1989). The flora and phytogeography of the evergreen forests of Malawi. I: Afromontane and mid-altitude forests; Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 59(1/2) Page 24. As Smilax kraussiana Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 232. As Smilax kraussiana Fischer, E. & Killmann, D. (2008). Illustrated Field guide to the Plants of Nyungwe National Park Rwanda. University of Koblenz-Landau. Page 328. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 112. Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 233. Obermeyer, A.A. (1992). Smilacaceae Flora of Southern Africa 5(3) Page 85. (Includes a picture). Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 137. Pooley, E. (1998). A Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Region. Natal Flora Publications Trust. Durban. Pages 572 - 573. (Includes a picture). Steedman, E.C. (1933). Some Trees, Shrubs and Lianes of Southern Rhodesia. Pages 1 - 2. as Smilax kraussiana Timberlake, J.R., Bayliss, J., Dowsett-Lemaire, F., Congdon, C., Branch, B., Collins, S., Curran, M., Dowsett, R,J., Fishpool, L., Francisco, J., Harris, Kopp, M. & de Sousa, C. (2012). Mt Mabu, Mozambique: Biodiversity and Conservation Report produced under the Darwin Initiative Award 15/036. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London Page 72. Troupin, G. (1988). Smilacaceae Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume IV Pages 60 - 61. as Smilax kraussiana (Includes a picture). Vollesen, K. & Merrett, L. (2019). Field Guide to the (wetter) Zambian Miombo Woodland. Part 1 (Ferns & Monocots) GVPedia Communications Page 128. (Includes a picture). White, F. (1962). Forest Flora of Northern Rhodesia Oxford Univ. Press. Page 15. as Smilax kraussiana White, F., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Chapman, J.D. (2001). Evergreen forest flora of Malawi Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Page 109. (Includes a picture). Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 86. |
Other sources of information about Smilax anceps:
Our websites:
Flora of Burundi: Smilax ancepsFlora of the DRC: Smilax anceps
Flora of Malawi: Smilax anceps
Flora of Rwanda: Smilax anceps
Flora of Zambia: Smilax anceps
Flora of Zimbabwe: Smilax anceps
External websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Smilax ancepsAfrican Plant Database: Smilax anceps
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Smilax anceps
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Smilax anceps
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Smilax anceps
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Smilax anceps
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Smilax anceps
JSTOR Plant Science: Smilax anceps
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Smilax anceps
Plants of the World Online: Smilax anceps
Tropicos: Smilax anceps
Wikipedia: Smilax anceps