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Bristly Greenbriar, Black-Spine Greenbriar
Smilax tamnoides L.
(formerly Smilax hispida and Smilax tamnoides var. hispida)
Smilacaceae (Greenbriar Family)
▲▼new emerging shoot in spring with dense, sharp, green spines on stem
▲▼ spiny stem, and tiny spines on leaf margin and underside midvein
▲▼heart-shaped to rounded leaves with parallel veins
▲▼spines turn black as stems mature
▲ older stems, still with abundant spines
Greenbriar/Catbriar/Smilax:
·
Woody
perennial monocot vines in the Greenbriar Family (Smilacaceae) that climb by use of
tendrils; 3-4 species native to Missouri
·
Leaves
are heart-shaped, glossy; some species have silvery or lighter-green mottling on
young leaves
·
Flowers
are small & white in clusters in leaf axils; fruit is a white berry eaten by
wildlife & spread
·
Stems
variably spiny with dense to sparse spines
·
Leaf
mid-veins often spiny; three species common in Missouri
·
Saw
Greenbriar (Smilax bona-nox)
o
Woody perennial vine with heart-shaped leaves with parallel veins, often with
patches of lighter green color on a darker-green, glossy background
o
Leaf margins may be spiny, as well as leaf midvien
o
Stems have short, stout spines, but not too densely spaced
o
Flowers are white in round or panicled clusters arising from leaf axils
o
Stem tendrils are strong, long
·
Roundleaf
Greenbriar (Smilax
rotundifolia)
o
Woody perennial vine with heart-shaped to almost rounded leaves with parallel
veins; leaf undersides are slightly lighter green than top sides
o
Stems are light green, with widely-spaced, stout spines that are flared at their
bases
o
Leaf midveins may be spiny
o
No mottling on leaf surfaces
o
Flowers are in rounded clusters on stems that arise at stem tips and from axils
of leaves
·
Bristly Greenbriar, Black-Spined Greenbriar (Smilax
tamnoides)
o
Woody vine with medium green stems covered with needle-like spines of varying
lengths (1/16-1/4 inch or more long) that start out green, then turn black as
the stem matures
o
Leaves are heart-shaped to rounded with parallel veins, with no lighter patches,
and as glossy as saw greenbriar
o
Flowers are in rounded clusters on stems arising from axils of the leaves