Smilacaceae

• Authority

  Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

• Family

  Smilacaceae

• Scientific Name

  Smilacaceae

• Description

  Family Description - Fls trimerous, regular, unisexual or in some extralimital genera perfect; tep in 2 petaloid cycles, distinct or connate below; filaments variously free and distinct or borne on the perianth and sometimes connate into a column; ovary superior, trilocular or sometimes unilocular, with accordingly axile or parietal placentation; no septal nectaries; ovules 1–many in each locule or on each placenta; fr a berry with mostly 1–6 seeds; embryo mostly small, with a terminal cotyledon, axially embedded in the very hard endosperm; climbing, herbaceous or slenderly woody vines, or less often erect perennial herbs or branching shrubs, arising from creeping, often tuber-bearing rhizomes; lvs simple, mostly alternate, usually with a pair of tendrils arising from the petiole near its junction with the short stipular flange or open sheath; blade well developed and expanded, commonly with 3–7 "parallel," curved-convergent main veins connected by an evident network of smaller veins; vessels present in all vegetative organs; fls commonly in umbels or sets of umbels. 12 genera, all but Smilax small.

• Common Names

  The catbrier family