Fruit Seeds of Southern Michigan: Smilax herbacea -- Smooth Carrionflower

Native

Other names: Jacob's Ladder, Herbaceous Carrion Flower, Carrion Vine

[22]

[1]

Notes:
See Missouri Weed Seeds for a photograph of the seeds.

Uncommon in Michigan.

May be confused with S. lasioneura. Both species are herbaceous and lack prickles. Underside of leaf of S. herbacea is glabrous while S. lasioneura is pubescent beneath.

References:

Species profile at USDA Plants Database: S. herbacea
Michigan Flora online species profile
University of Wisconsin-Steven Point Robert. W. Freckmann herbarium species profile
Ontario Wildflowers species profile

(Numbers in photo captions are photo credits, listed in the "Photo Credits" tab at the top of the page)

About

This is a reference guide to fleshy, bird-dispersed fruits, especially identification of seeds. It will focus on fall- and summer-fruiting plant species found in southern Michigan, but since many of these species are widespread in North America, it will be useful for a broader region. Both native and non-native species are covered.

This website was a project of the former Rouge River Bird Observatory; part of RRBO's research was examining the fall diet of birds at an urban site. This page is now maintained by Julie Craves.

Please cite as:

Craves, J. A., and D. Wloch. 2012. Fruit seeds of southern Michigan, an online guide. Rouge River Bird Observatory, University of Michigan-Dearborn and Prairie Oaks Ecological Station. Ann Arbor, MI. (seedguide.blogspot.com) Version 2023.

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Smilax herbacea -- Smooth Carrionflower