Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_1655.JPG-06-01-2019
Flower name (scientific): Smilax ecirrhata (Engelmann ex Kunth) S. Watson PY: 1890. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) SMIL-aks (or SMI-laks or SMY-laks) e-sir-RAY-tah (or e-see-RAY-tah)
Flower name (common): Upright Carrion Flower
Family name (common): Catbrier
Family name (scientific): Smilacaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: From ancient Greek for a scraper, referring to the prickly stems of other species in the genus. Also, from Greek for climber, referring to the nature of the plant. Alternatively, from ancient Greek, the name of an evergreen oak.
    Specific epithet: Lacking tendrils.
Common name origin: From the appearance of the plant, and from the unpleasant odor of the flowers that resembles decaying carrion.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.2 to 0.3 inches (5 to 8 mm)
     Petal count: 6
     Color: green
     Other: flower arrangement, Cluster-spherical
Plant description:
     Size: 6 to 36 inches (15 to 91 cm)
     Stem hairy:
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is alternate and/or whorl, type is simple
     Size: Leaves up to 12 cm long and up to 10 cm wide.
     Color:
     Hairy:
     Other: Shape: leaf, broadly ovate to ovate-orbicular (IL)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Uncommon
Bloom time (typical): May to June
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial
Habitat: Woods, thickets, streambanks, shade or semi-shade, moist to mesic.
Fruit: Mature berries are dark blue-violet or purplish to black and about 8 to 11 mm in diameter.
Seed:
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): There are four other Smilax species in Wisconsin that have some resemablance to Smilax ecirrhata. They are Smilax herbacea (Common Carrion-flower, Jacob's-ladder), Smilax illinoensis (Illinois Carrion Flower), Smilax lasioneura (Blue Ridge Carrion Flower), and Smilax tamnoides (Bristly Greenbrier). According to the FNA, Smilax herbacea is absent from the midwestern states. Smilax tamnoides can be distinguished from the other species by the presence of needle-like prickles on the stem. Smilax illinoensis has few tendrils and a petiole about the length of the leaf blade or longer. Smilax lasioneura has numerous tendrils and the petiole is shorter than the leaf blade. Smilax ecirrhata has a petiole shorter than the leaf blade, and a few short tendrils or none at all. Smilax ecirrhata is also similar to S. biltmoreana, but the latter species has not been reported from the midwestern states.
Ethnobotany:
Latitude: 44.799795
Longitude: -91.508777
Altitude: 220.60
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AR, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, ND, NE, OH, OK, SD, TN, VA, WI, WV) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (ON) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: Coprosmanthus herbaceus var. ecirratus Engelm. ex Kunth, Enum. Pl. [Kunth] 5: 266 (-267) (1850).
Homotypic Synonym(s):
Heterotypic Synonym(s):
Autonym: na
Wetland Status (NC): Not listed
Wetland Status (MW): Not listed