Smilax
Smilax, a genus of woody or herbaceous plants, found in tropical or temperate regions. Most of the 350 species of smilax are shrubby climbing or trailing vines. The stems of the plants are usually prickly, and they have many paired tendrils. The leaves may be deciduous or evergreen and vary in shape from long and narrow to oval. Smilax plants have either white or greenish-yellow flowers growing in small, stalked clusters. The flowers are followed by small berries, which may be red, blue, blue-black, or black. The roots are usually thick and fleshy.
About 25 species of smilax are native to North America. Among them are the carrion flower and the common greenbrier, or cat-brier. Both are sometimes cultivated as garden plants. The dried roots of the common greenbrier were used by the Indians as a source of flour for making bread.
Greenbrier is a smilax native to North America.Sarsaparilla consists of the dried roots of several Central and South American species of smilax. In the mid-1800's, sarsaparilla was popularly used as a spring tonic and as a patent medicine that was supposed to cure anything from rheumatism to syphilis. It had no real value as a drug, however. Today, sarsaparilla is used as a flavoring agent in root beer and in medicines.
The smilax commonly sold by florists is a vine of the asparagus genus.
The common greenbrier is Smilax rotundifolia; the carrion flower, S. herbacea. S. officinalis, S. regelii, and S. aristolochiaefolia are sources of sarsaparilla. Smilaxes belong to the catbrier family, Smilacaceae.