Smilax glabra

Smilax glabra
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Liliales
Family: Smilacaceae
Genus: Smilax
Species:
S. glabra
Binomial name
Smilax glabra
Synonyms[1]
  • Smilax lanceolata Burm.f 1768 not L. 1753
  • Smilax hookeri Kunth
  • Smilax trigona Warb.
  • Smilax dunniana H.Lév.
  • Smilax blinii H.Lév.
  • Smilax mengmaensis R.H.Miao

Smilax glabra, sarsaparilla,[2] is a plant species in the genus Smilax. It is native to China, the Himalayas, and Indochina.[1][3][4][5][6]

S. glabra is a traditional medicine in Chinese herbology, whence it is also known as tufuling (土茯苓) or chinaroot, china-root, and china root (a name it shares with the related S. china). Chinaroot is a key ingredient in the Chinese medical dessert guilinggao, which uses its ability to set certain kinds of jelly.

  1. ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. ^ Sarsaparilla on rain-tree.com
  3. ^ Smitinand, T. & Larsen, K. (eds.) (1975). Flora of Thailand 2: 1-484. The Forest Herbarium, National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, Bangkok.
  4. ^ Leroy, J.-F. (ed.) (1983). Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viêt-Nam 20: 1-175. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris.
  5. ^ Ahmed, Z.U. (ed.) (2008). Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh 12: 1-505. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  6. ^ Leti, M., Hul, S., Fouché, J.-G., Cheng, S.K. & David, B. (2013). Flore photographique du Cambodge: 1-589. Éditions Privat, Toulouse.