Smilax china

Smilax china is a climbing plant species in the genus Smilax. It is native to China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan (including Ryukyu and Bonin Islands), Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and India.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]} It is also known as china root, china-root, or chinaroot,^[9] as is the related Smilax glabra.

Smilax china
Fruits
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Liliales
Family:	Smilacaceae
Genus:	Smilax
Species:	S. china
Binomial name
Smilax china L.
Synonyms*[1]
Coprosmanthus japonicus Kunth Smilax japonica (Kunth) A.Gray Smilax pteropus Miq. Smilax thomsoniana A.DC. Smilax taquetii H.Lév. Smilax taiheiensis Hayata Smilax boninensis Nakai

Description

The stem is woody, sparsely prickly, and 1–5 m (3 ft 3 in – 16 ft 5 in) long. Petiole is 0.5–1.5 cm (0.20–0.59 in) long; leaf blade is elliptic to orbicular, 3–10 cm (1.2–3.9 in) long and 1.5–6 cm (0.59–2.36 in) wide, sometimes wider. Berries are red, globose, and 0.6–1.5 cm (0.24–0.59 in) in diameter.^[2]

Kaempferol 7-O-glucoside, a flavonol glucoside, can be found in S. china.^[10]

Habitat

In China, S. china occurs in forests, thickets, hillsides, grassy slopes, and shaded places along valleys or streams. It is found from near sea level to 2,000 m (6,600 ft).^[2]