Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Liliales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Smilax biltmoreana
FAMILY
Smilacaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina website.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Smilax biltmoreana
FAMILY
Smilacaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Smilax biltmoreana
INCLUDED WITHIN Phylogeography of North American herbaceous Smilax (Smilacaceae) (Li et al., 2013)
Smilax herbacea
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 041-02-003a:
Smilax ecirrhata var. biltmoreana FAMILY Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Nemexia biltmoreana
COMMON NAME:
Biltmore Carrionflower
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
JK Marlow jkm0504s_24
April Pickens County SC
Table Rock State Park
Plants erect [not vine-like, climbing or sprawling], per Weakley's Flora (2022).
)
JK Marlow jkm0504s_25
April Pickens County SC
Table Rock State Park
Flowers in axillary umbels, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm090425_08485
April Pickens County SC
Nine Times Preserve
Stem herbaceous, lacking prickles, per Weakley's Flora (2022).
)
JK Marlow jkm090425_087
April Pickens County SC
Nine Times Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm100427_087b
April Greenville County SC
Ashmore Heritage Preserve
The tepals are attached at the base of the superior ovary (developing berry).
)
JK Marlow jkm100427_090
April Greenville County SC
Ashmore Heritage Preserve
Peduncles usually greater than 4cm long, per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm150621_357
June Jackson County NC
Foothills Trail
Lowest peduncle from a leaf axil (very rarely from bract axils), per Weakley's Flora (2015).
)
JK Marlow jkm200613_5864
June Jackson County NC
Foothills Trail
)
JK Marlow jkm200613_5866
June Jackson County NC
Foothills Trail
Leaves glabrous and glaucous beneath, per Weakley's Flora (2022).
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmsbiltmoreana_trsp1
June Pickens County SC
Table Rock State Park
Leaves 4-7, clustered together near the summit of the stem, per Weakley's Flora (2022).
)
JK Marlow jkm0508d_25
August Transylvania County NC
Leaves thick in texture, leaf base cordate, per Weakley's Flora (2022).
)
JK Marlow jkm120804_194
August Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm120804_196
August Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
Leaves oblong-ovate, 7-15cm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm120804_198
August Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm180825_4160
August Pickens County SC
Jocassee Gorges
)
JK Marlow jkm180825_4163
August Pickens County SC
Jocassee Gorges
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Smilax biltmoreana
FAMILY
Smilacaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Smilax biltmoreana
FAMILY
Smilacaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Smilax biltmoreana
INCLUDED WITHIN
Phylogeography of North American herbaceous Smilax (Smilacaceae) (Li et al., 2013)
Smilax herbacea
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 041-02-003a:
Smilax ecirrhata var. biltmoreana
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Nemexia biltmoreana
1397
Forb
Perennial
Dioecious
Habitat: Dry forests (such as dry pine ridges and chestnut oak forests) and moist forests, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Not armed
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate, whorl-like cluster of 5-7 leaves near stem summit
FLOWER:
Spring
Yellowish-green
Radially symmetrical
6 tepals
6 stamens in staminate flowers
Superior ovary
Unisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Black
Berry
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p418
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p383?
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p018
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".