Greenbriar

Saw Greenbriar

Smilax bona-nox L.

Smilacaceae (Greenbriar Family)

▲ strong new shoot growth in spring

▲ ▼ young leaves in spring have light and dark green mottling

▲ flowers and tendrils along stems

▲ stem along the ground

Greenbriar/Catbriar/Smilax:

Woody perennial monocot vines in the Lily Family (Liliaceae) 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)
  - Woody perennial vine with heart-shaped leaves with parallel veins, often with patches of lighter green color on a darker-green, glossy background, and base of leaf blade may flare out more than upper portion
  - Leaf margins may be spiny, as well as leaf midvien
  - Stems have short, stout spines, but not too densely spaced
  - Flowers are white in round or panicled clusters arising from leaf axils
  - Stem tendrils are strong, long
- Roundleaf Greenbriar (Smilax rotundifolia)
  - Woody perennial vine with heart-shaped to almost rounded leaves with parallel veins; leaf undersides are slightly lighter green than top sides
  - Stems are light green, with widely-spaced, stout spines that are flared at their bases
  - Leaf midveins may be spiny
  - No mottling on leaf surfaces
  - Flowers are in rounded clusters on stems that arise at stem tips and from axils of leaves
- Black-Spined Greenbriar (Smilax hispida)
  - 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
  - Leaves are heart-shaped to rounded with parallel veins, with no lighter patches, and as glossy as saw greenbriar
  - Flowers are in rounded clusters on stems arising from axils of the leaves

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