Smilax australis, commonly known as Austral Sarsaparilla, Lawyer Vine, or Native Sarsaparilla, is a vigorous, woody climbing plant native to eastern Australia and New Guinea. It belongs to the family Smilacaceae.
Description
Smilax australis is characterized by its robust, scrambling or high-climbing habit, often forming dense thickets. Its stems are typically armed with sharp, backward-pointing prickles, giving rise to common names like "Lawyer Vine" (referencing the difficulty of escaping its grasp).
- Stems: Woody, green to brownish, generally thorny. Young shoots may be less prickly.
- Leaves: Alternate, simple, glossy green, and leathery. They are typically broad-ovate to orbicular (circular to egg-shaped) with prominent parallel veins running the length of the leaf. The petioles (leaf stalks) often bear a pair of tendrils, which help the plant climb.
- Flowers: Small, greenish-yellow, and inconspicuous. They are arranged in axillary umbels (a cluster of flowers whose stalks arise from a common point). Smilax australis is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. Flowering occurs mainly from spring to early summer.
- Fruit: Small, globose (spherical) berries, typically turning black when ripe. These berries are a food source for various native birds.
Habitat and Distribution
Smilax australis is widespread across eastern Australia, found in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, extending into parts of New Guinea. It thrives in a variety of habitats, including:
- Rainforests
- Wet sclerophyll forests
- Open forests
- Woodlands It often grows as an understorey plant, scrambling over shrubs or climbing high into the canopy of larger trees.
Ecology
The berries of Smilax australis are an important food source for many bird species, contributing to seed dispersal. The dense, prickly growth also provides shelter for small animals.
Uses
- Traditional Aboriginal Uses: Aboriginal people traditionally used various parts of Smilax australis. The young shoots were eaten raw or cooked, serving as a source of fresh greens. The berries were also edible, though generally considered less palatable than the shoots. The starchy roots were sometimes consumed, and the flexible stems were used for weaving baskets, fish traps, and other utilitarian items.
- Ornamental: Due to its vigorous growth and prickly nature, it is not commonly cultivated in gardens, though it can be used in revegetation projects in suitable native settings.
Classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Clade: Tracheophytes
- Clade: Angiosperms
- Order: Liliales
- Family: Smilacaceae
- Genus: Smilax
- Species: S. australis