Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Smilax"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Sarsaparilla \Sar`sa*pa*ril"la\, n. [Sp. zarzaparrilla; zarza a
bramble (perhaps fr. Bisc. zartzia) + parra a vine, or
Parillo, a physician said to have discovered it.] (Bot.)
(a) Any plant of several tropical American species of
{Smilax}.
(b) The bitter mucilaginous roots of such plants, used in
medicine and in sirups for soda, etc.
Note: The name is also applied to many other plants and their
roots, especially to the {Aralia nudicaulis}, the wild
sarsaparilla of the United States.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Smilax \Smi"lax\, n. [L., bindweed, Gr. ???.] (Bot.)
(a) A genus of perennial climbing plants, usually with a
prickly woody stem; green brier, or cat brier. The
rootstocks of certain species are the source of the
medicine called sarsaparilla.
(b) A delicate trailing plant ({Myrsiphyllum asparagoides})
much used for decoration. It is a native of the Cape of
Good Hope.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
Smilax
n 1: sometimes placed in Smilacaceae [syn: {Smilax}, {genus
Smilax}]
2: fragile twining plant of South Africa with bright green
flattened stems and glossy foliage popular as a floral
decoration [syn: {Asparagus asparagoides}]
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