Smilax glyciphylla aka Smilax Glyciphylla

Smilax glyciphylla is a climber that stays green all year. It belongs to the Smilacaceae family. People call it sweet sarsparilla or sarsparilla. It comes from Australia's east coast. Its range spans the north and east of Queensland. It also grows in eastern New South Wales. It lives in damp coastal valleys and rain forest. These forests lie on low ground, hills and mountains. Records place it up to 4,921 feet [1,500 metres] above sea level.

This plant is a climbing shrub with no thorns. A thick rootstock, with tubers, grows a clump of stems. The stems reach about 16 feet [5 metres], sometimes more. Tendrils help them grip nearby plants as they climb. How far they reach depends in part on nearby growth. The plant keeps its leaves all year. It suits sites where nearby plants can help hold it up. Sources note that people grow it. They do not always make the purpose clear.

Male and female flowers grow on separate plants. The term for this is dioecious. The plant is not self-fertile. Both sexes must grow together to bear fruit and seed. The accounts do not say when the flowers bloom. They do not describe the fruit or give leaf shapes in detail. The plant grows in Australia's tropical and warm temperate zones. Frost occurs in some parts of its native range.

Accounts of plants in gardens report growth in sun or part shade. They also say it grows in most soil types. Plants For A Future says it prefers moist soil. Australian garden reports note brief cold spells down to about 19°F [-7°C]. This does not show how well it withstands cold in British gardens. Cooler summers may change how it copes. Longer, wetter winters may do so too. The evidence gives no firm British hardiness rating.

People gather wild plants for food and medicine. They chew the leaves or brew them instead of tea. The drink tastes both sweet and bitter. Reports mention use in place of sugar, but name no plant part. European settlers in Australia recorded its use against scurvy in 1790. Past uses also include tonics and treatments to boost urine flow. These past uses do not prove medical benefit. The sources list no known hazards. They do not assess whether the plant is safe for pets.