tufuling

Smilax glabra

Physical Characteristics

Smilax glabra is a deciduous Climber growing to 3 m (9ft 10in). It is in flower from July to November, and the seeds ripen from November to April. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required).. The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Distribution

E. Asia - China to the Himalayas.

Habitats

Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit Root Edible Uses: Root - cooked[105, 177]. It can be dried and ground into a powder. The root contains nearly 70% starch[218]. Fruit[177]. The fruit is up to 10mm in diameter[266]. No more details are given.

Medicinal Uses

Antiarthritic Antipsoriatic Antirheumatic Antiscrophulatic Cancer Dysentery Skin Stomachic VD The aerial tubers are used in the treatment of abscesses, boils, cystitis, diarrhoea etc[218]. The rhizome is antiarthritic, antiscrophulatic, depurative, skin, stomachic[147, 174, 176]. It has been used in the treatment of cancer, mercury poisoning, acute bacterial dysentery, rheumatoid arthritis and syphilis[147, 174, 176, 218, 238]. It is said to be clinically 90% effective in the treatment of primary syphilis[218].

Known Hazards

None known