Smilax ornata is a
perennial trailing
vine with prickly stems that is native to
Mexico and
Central America.[3] Common names include sarsaparilla,[4]Honduran sarsaparilla,[4] and Jamaican sarsaparilla.[4]
Smilax ornata is used as the basis for a
soft drink frequently called
sarsaparilla. It is also a primary ingredient in old fashioned-style
licorice,[10] in conjunction with
sassafras,[11] which was more widely available prior to studies of its potential health risks.[12]
Traditional medicine
Smilax ornata was considered by Native Americans to have
medicinal properties, and was a popular European treatment for
syphilis when it was introduced from the New World.[13] From 1820 to 1910, it was registered in the
U.S. Pharmacopoeia as a treatment for syphilis.[citation needed]
^Davidse, G. & al. (eds.) (1994). Flora Mesoamericana 6: 1–543. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F.
^Balick, M.J., Nee, M.H. & Atha, D.E. (2000). Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Belize with Common Names an Uses: 1-246. New York Botanic Garden Press, New York.
^Espejo Serena, A. & López-Ferrari, A.R. (2000). Las Monocotiledóneas Mexicanas una Sinopsis Florística 1(9-11): 1–337. Consejo Nacional de la Flora de México, México D.F.
^Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.