Common Name:

General Information

Smilax discotis is a deciduous shrub that has a weakly climbing habit. The branched stems are scarcely or sparsely prickly, growing 50 - 300cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - central and southern China - Gansu to Zhejiang, south to Yunnan and Fuijan.

Habitat

Forests, thickets and shaded places on slopes; at elevations from 600 - 2,100 metre[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Deciduous Climber
Height	7.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Smilax discotis is not very cold-hardy, tolerating short-lived temperatures down to about -10°c and succeeding outdoors in milder parts of the temperate zone[].
Succeeds in most soils in sun or semi-shade[].
A dioecious species - both male and female forms must be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. The black, globose berries are 6 - 8mm in diameter[]. No more details are given.

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse[]. This note probably refers to the tropical members of the genus, seeds of plants from cooler areas seem to require a period of cold stratification, some species taking 2 or more years to germinate[]. We sow the seed of temperate species in a cold frame as soon as we receive it, and would sow the seed as soon as it is ripe if we could obtain it then[]. When the seedlings eventually germinate, prick them out into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first year, though we normally grow them on in pots for 2 years. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer.
Division in early spring as new growth begins[]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.
Cuttings of half-ripe shoots, July in a frame[].