About Smilax china L.
Smilax china L. is a climbing plant with woody stems that reach 1โ5 m (3 ft 3 in โ 16 ft 5 in) in length, and stems are sparsely covered with prickles. Its petioles measure 0.5โ1.5 cm (0.20โ0.59 in) long. Leaf blades range from elliptic to orbicular in shape, and are 3โ10 cm (1.2โ3.9 in) long and 1.5โ6 cm (0.59โ2.36 in) wide, sometimes growing even wider. The plant produces globose red berries 0.6โ1.5 cm (0.24โ0.59 in) in diameter. The flavonol glucoside kaempferol 7-O-glucoside has been identified in S. china. In China, this species grows in forests, thickets, hillsides, grassy slopes, and shaded locations along valleys or streams, at elevations from near sea level up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft). In Korea, the leaves and roots of Smilax china L. are used as medicinal herbs.
