Smilax havanensis Jacq.
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Authority
Britton, Nathaniel L. & Millspaugh, Charles F. 1920. The Bahama Flora.
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Family
Smilacaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Woody, climbing or trailing, armed with short hooked prickles or nearly unarmed, 1-4 m. long, the branches angled, often zigzag. Leaves coriaceous, oblong to ovate or suborbicular, spinulose-dentate or entire, 2-12 cm. long, reticulate-veined, 3-7-nerved, obtuse, mucronate or emarginate at the apex, rounded, narrowed or subcordate at the base, the petioles 10-18 mm. long, the stipular sheaths about half as long as the petioles; peduncles about as long as the petioles, 4-30-flowered; pedicels about 4 mm. long; flowers 2-3 mm. broad, the staminate somewhat larger than the pistillate; sepals and petals oblong; berries black, subglobose or ovoid, 4-6 mm. in diameter.
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Discussion
Distribution and ecology: Rocky and sandy soil, throughout the archipelago from Abaco and Great Bahama south to the Caicos and Inagua : Florida ; Cuba ; Hispaniola. Our held observations, and specimens, show that the synonyms cited above are of no value in differentiating the large number of races which constitute this species ; there being a wide range in leaf-form and venation and in the relative number of prickles ; also in the relative leaflness of the upper parts of the plants ; individual specimens may be unarmed. Hitchcock referred a part of his specimens of this species to S. domiiKjensis Willd. Prickly Greek-brier. Saw-brier. China-brier. Chaxey-vine.
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Distribution
Abaco and Great Bahama south to the Caicos and Inagua : Florida ; Cuba ; Hispaniola.
Great Abaco Bahamas South America| Turks and Caicos Islands South America| Inagua Bahamas South America| Florida United States of America North America| Cuba South America| West Indies|