China Root

Description

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 Assam. Common names for the plant include China root. 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. Kaempferol 7-O-glucoside, a flavonol glucoside, can be found in S. china