Greenbriar

(Smilax spp.)

Liliaceae (Lily Family)

 

Greenbriar/Catbriar/Smilax:  (Not in Weeds of the Great Plains; pp. 338-339, Weeds of the Northeast)

·         woody perennial vines that climb by use of tendrils; 3-4 species native to Missouri

·         leaves are heart-shaped, glossy

·         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