Smilax ornata

Smilax ornata is a perennial trailing vine with prickly stems that is native to Mexico and Central America.[3] Common names include sarsaparilla,[4] Honduran sarsaparilla,[4] and Jamaican sarsaparilla.[4]

This article is about the sarsaparilla plant used in root beer. For the Indian sarsaparilla, see Hemidesmus indicus.

Smilax ornata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Liliales
Family: Smilacaceae
Genus: Smilax
Species:
S. ornata
Binomial name
Smilax ornata
Synonyms[1]
  • Smilax grandifolia Regel 1856, not Buckley 1843 nor Voigt 1845 nor Poepp. ex A. DC. 1878
  • Smilax ornata Hook. 1889 not Lem. 1865[2]
  • Smilax regelii Killip & C.V.Morton
  • Smilax utilis Hemsl. 1899, not C.H. Wright 1895

It is known in Spanish as zarzaparrilla, which is derived from the words zarza meaning "bramble" (from Basque sartzia "bramble"), and parrilla, meaning "little grape vine".[5][6][7][8][9]

Uses

Food

Smilax ornata is used as the basis for a soft drink frequently called sarsaparilla. It is also a primary ingredient in old fashioned-style root beer,[10] in conjunction with sassafras,[11] which was more widely available prior to studies of its potential health risks.[12]

Traditional medicine

Smilax ornata was considered by Native Americans to have medicinal properties, and was a popular European treatment for syphilis when it was introduced from the New World.[13] From 1820 to 1910, it was registered in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as a treatment for syphilis.

  • Triterpenes, a constituent of sarsaparilla
  • Sarsaparilloside, a constituent of sarsaparilla
  • Sarsaparilla R1, a constituent of sarsaparilla
  • Sarsaparilla R2, a constituent of sarsaparilla
  • Parillin, a constituent of sarsaparilla
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See also

References
  1. "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  2. "Tropicos.org". Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  3. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  4. "Smilax regelii". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  5. Sarsaparilla
  6. Davidse, G. & al. (eds.) (1994). Flora Mesoamericana 6: 1–543. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F..
  7. Balick, M.J., Nee, M.H. & Atha, D.E. (2000). Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Belize with Common Names an Uses: 1-246. New York Botanic Garden Press, New York.
  8. Espejo Serena, A. & López-Ferrari, A.R. (2000). Las Monocotiledóneas Mexicanas una Sinopsis Florística 1(9-11): 1–337. Consejo Nacional de la Flora de México, México D.F..
  9. Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
  10. Encyclopædia Britannica. "sarsaparilla (flavouring) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia". Britannica.com. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  11. Era, P (1893). The era formulary: 5000 formulas for druggists. A collection of original and prize formulas, to which has been added a selection of formulas from standard authorities in the English, French and German ... D. O. Haynes & company. p. 400. ISBN 978-1-145-42702-0.
  12. Dietz, B; Bolton, Jl (April 2007). "Botanical Dietary Supplements Gone Bad". Chemical Research in Toxicology. 20 (4): 586–90. doi:10.1021/tx7000527. ISSN 0893-228X. PMC 2504026. PMID 17362034.
  13. Wilson, H. (22 April 1843). "Sarsaparilla in Syphilis". Provincial Medical Journal and Retrospect of the Medical Sciences. 6 (134): 71. PMC 2557820. PMID 21379157.
  14. "PlantNET – FloraOnline". Plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
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