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Notice tendrils among the leaves.
Smilax herbacea
Common Name of Genus: Carrion
Flower
Family: Smiacaceae
Leaves: The leaves are smooth and have parallel veins. They are oval shaped tapering to a pointed tip.
Flowers: A cluster of small green flowers which produce the scent of carrion or rotting flesh. They appear in May to June.
Seeds: The blue-black berry found in a round cluster.
Stem: The stems are green and smooth. There are also tendrils growing off from leaf axils.
Branching Pattern:
Height: 3-10 feet long vine
Conditions/Habitat/Kind of Forest: They are found in damp thickets, woods and floodplains.
Known Wildlife Interactions: The carrion sent attracts flies, which are the major pollinators of this plant.
Range: Found through out Eastern North America from Quebec south.
Conservation Status-US/ World Wide: Not threatened in the U.S. or globally.
Uses (Human): None known.
References:
Plants for a Future. June 2004. Accessed: April 27, 2006. <http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Polygonum+sagittatum>
The Pennsylvania Flora Project. Botany Department, Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania. Accessed: April 27, 2006. <http://www.paflora.org>
Connecticut Wildflowers. January 20, 2006. Connecticut Botanical Society. Accessed: April 27, 2006. <http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/polygonumsagi.html>
Peterson, Roger T., MicKenny, Margaret. Wildflowers: Northeast/ North-Central Amercia. Peterson Field Guides.1996. pg. 370
Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. 1977. pg. 348
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species <http://www.iucnredlist.org>