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Catbrier family
Smilacaceae
サルトリイバラ科
A family including Smilax china, S. glabra, and S. riparia. Woody or herbaceous climbers characterized by tendrils on the petioles. Dioecious with attractive red berries. About 10 species are native to Japan.
Key Characteristics
- ●Tendrils at the base of petioles
- ●Leaves with both arcuate parallel and reticulate venation
- ●Dioecious; flowers small and 3-merous (6 tepals)
- ●Fruit a berry ripening red to black
- ●Stems often thorny
Morphological Traits
A family may include species with different trait values — multiple values indicate the range within the family.
Leaf arrangement
Alternate / Opposite
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate / Palmate
Leaf margin
Entire
Growth form
Shrub / Herb / Vine
Evergreen/Deciduous
Evergreen
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Stipules
Present / Absent
Aromatic
Foetid / None
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Petal count
6 petals
Ovary position
Superior
Plant sex
Dioecious
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Monocots > Liliales > Smilacaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous (ca. 80 Ma onwards)
Representative Genera
Related Evolution Events
- ・Transition to a climbing habit via tendrils
- ・Development of bird dispersal through fleshy berries
Plants in Catbrier family on this site
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