Smilax bona-nox L.

saw greenbrier
greenbrier
catbrier
bullbrier
chinabrier
tramp's trouble

More info for the terms: drupe, fruit, liana, umbel

Saw greenbrier is a native, evergreen [8] to semievergreen [16] or deciduous [7], rhizomatous liana up to 26 feet (8 m) in length [12]. The quadrate stems and branches have scattered to numerous stiff prickles [7,12]. There are two forms of rhizomes: ligneous, thickened, knotty tubers 0.8 to 2.4 inches (2-6 cm) thick in clusters up to 7.9 inches (20 cm) across [23], and more slender rhizomes which give rise to the erect stems [7,12,16,23]. The inflorescence is an umbel borne on an axillary peduncle. The fruit is a one-seeded drupe [30].

The range of saw greenbrier extends from Florida to Texas and eastern Mexico, north to Maryland, Kentucky, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, Missouri, and southeastern Kansas [12,16,17,34].

More info for the terms: fire regime, marsh, prescribed fire

Saw greenbrier is tolerant of periodic fire because it will sprout from the rhizomes when top-killed. It is not dependent on fire for regeneration; it occurs in both fire-tolerant communities and communities which infrequently experience fire. Saw greenbrier occurs in the pine flatwoods of the lower Atlantic Coastal Plain, which were historically maintained in open condition by periodic fire, and are now managed with prescribed fires [15]. Similarly, it is often found in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) communities which were also historically maintained by fire. Longleaf pine communities have largely been replaced by other communities, mostly loblolly pine, which can also be managed with prescribed fire [43]. Saw greenbrier is a member of Florida bay swamps, which experience fire on the average of once per century [10]. Where saw greenbrier occurs on Cumberland Island, Georgia, its distribution is probably only partly affected by fire. The scrub and marsh communities on Cumberland Island historically experienced wildfires approximately every 20 to 27 years. Oak (Quercus spp.)/saw-palmetto (Serenoa repens) communities are vulnerable to fires burning into them from adjacent scrub or marsh. Greenbriers occurred on forested sites, decreased at forest/marsh and forest/scrub interfaces, and were not present in interior marsh and scrub sites. The authors concluded that the marsh/forest and scrub/forest boundaries are controlled by fluctuation in the water table and not by fire [26]. FIRE REGIMES: Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under "Find FIRE REGIMES".

More info for the term: cover

Since herbicides alone do not control saw greenbrier, prescribed burning has been suggested to help hold it to desired densities for wildlife habitat and to improve its browse value [32]. However, in the Cross Timbers of Oklahoma, herbicides plus annual spring fires had no effect on saw greenbrier cover [37].

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More info for the terms: geophyte, phanerophyte

Phanerophyte Geophyte

More info for the term: swamp

Saw greenbrier occurs in a variety of habitats, including dry and wet woods, thickets, and hammocks, and disturbed sites such as clearings, roadsides, fencerows, and old fields. It tolerates a wide variety of soils, including dry to moist sands, rocky soils, rich loams, and saturated swamp soils high in organic matter [7,10,12,16,34,41].

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This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

More info for the terms: hardwood, swamp

52 White oak - black oak - northern red oak
53 White oak
57 Yellow-poplar
63 Cottonwood
62 Silver maple - American elm
70 Longleaf pine
71 Longleaf pine - scrub oak
73 Southern redcedar
75 Shortleaf pine
76 Shortleaf pine - oak
78 Virginia pine - oak
81 Loblolly pine
82 Loblolly pine - hardwood
83 Longleaf pine - slash pine
87 Sweetgum - yellow-poplar
88 Willow oak - water oak - diamondleaf oak
89 Live oak
92 Sweetgum - willow oak
93 Sugarberry - American elm - green ash
94 Sycamore - sweetgum - American elm
97 Atlantic white-cedar
102 Baldcypress - tupelo
103 Water tupelo - swamp tupelo
104 Sweetbay - swamp tupelo - redbay
110 Black oak

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This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

FRES12 Longleaf - slash pine
FRES14 Oak - pine
FRES15 Oak - hickory
FRES17 Elm - ash - cottonwood

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This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the term: forest

K081 Oak savanna
K082 Mosaic of K074 and K100
K084 Cross Timbers
K089 Black Belt
K092 Everglades
K100 Oak - hickory forest
K104 Appalachian oak forest
K105 Mangrove
K111 Oak - hickory - pine forest
K112 Southern mixed forest
K114 Pocosin
K115 Sand pine scrub
K116 Subtropical pine forest

More info for the term: prescribed fire

Saw greenbrier is probably top-killed by most fires and subsequently sprouts from the rhizomes. Mortality due to a winter prescribed fire in Texas ranged from 11 percent to 31 percent for most understory plants, including saw greenbrier [36].

More info for the term: cover

The fruits of saw greenbrier are eaten by wood ducks, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys, fish crows, black bears, opossums, raccoons, squirrels, and many species of songbirds [7]. White-tailed deer browse the foliage [5,19,43]. The commonly low and straggling growth form of saw greenbrier tends to form an impenetrable mass of prickly branches, which creates good cover for small mammals and birds [34]. In Kansas, an increase in the numbers of white-footed mice was associated with an increase in woody and weedy species (including saw greenbrier); the increase in mice was attributed to increased low cover. The mice were rare on the study site prior to the loss of an American elm overstory due to Dutch elm disease [13].

More info for the term: vine

Vine

More info for the term: rhizome

Saw greenbrier productivity in the understory of a loblolly pine
plantation was highest under medium thinning intensities [5]. Closed
canopy plantations produced little browse [6].

Saw greenbrier is considered a pest species in some areas; it is
difficult to eradicate due to its persistent woody rhizome [7]. It is
resistant to most herbicides, but can be controlled with karbutilate [42].

AL AR FL GA IL IN KS KY LA MD
MS MO NC OK SC TN TX VA MEXICO

Saw greenbrier is palatable browse for white-tailed deer [6].

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More info for the terms: fruit, vine

Saw greenbrier flowers from April to May [17,19,30], April to June [41], or May to July [7] depending on latitude. The fruit ripens from September to October, persisting on the vine through the winter [7,19,34].

More info for the terms: cover, formation, frequency, hardwood, herbaceous, litter, prescribed fire, relative dominance, vine

In Oklahoma, a post oak (Quercus stellata)-blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) and tallgrass prairie mosaic was subjected to prescribed fire to determine the response of understory species to fire and timing of fire. The groundlayer vegetation was dominated by little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium). Saw greenbrier was present only on sites that were selected to receive prescribed fire in summer (July 1979), and showed very little difference in cover following the fire [1]. In Texas, a prescribed fire in March, 1974, consumed 80 to 90 percent of the previous year's needle and leaf cast and 50 percent of old litter under a loblolly pine-shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) plantation. Average saw greenbrier height decreased from 11.8 feet (3.60 m) to 4.79 feet (1.46 m) and the average number of stems per plant increased from 1.47 to 1.62 (measured July 1975) [36]. Also in Texas, prescribed surface fires were conducted in February, 1982 to assess the response of vegetation under either Plateau oak (Quercus fusiformis) or post oak. By July, saw greenbrier had increased in relative dominance and frequency on both site types [20]. The Research Project Summary, Response of herbaceous vegetation to winter burning in Texas oak savanna provides information on postfire response of associated herbaceous species in this study. In Florida, frequent prescribed fires in longleaf pine-slash pine (Pinus elliotii) communities have prevented the formation of a hardwood midstory. Saw greenbrier was the most common vine in these fire-maintained stands [38]. Also in Florida, longleaf pine-turkey oak (Quercus laevis) stands were subjected to periodic prescribed fire. Greenbriers were present in low numbers (15 percent occurrence) and were subjected to heavy spring browsing (90 percent of twigs browsed=90 percent utilization) on 1-year-old burns. Greenbriers were not reported from study plots that represented postfire years 2, 3, and 4 [18].

Secondary colonizer - off-site seed

More info for the term: seed

Saw greenbrier reproduces by seed and by rhizomes. The seeds are animal dispersed and can be carried long distances by birds [8].

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This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

14 Great Plains

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More info for the terms: cover, forest, succession, vine, vines

Facultative Seral Species Saw greenbrier is often found in early seres and disturbed sites. It is listed with other plants characterized as early arrivals following disturbance [8]. In sand dune succession of barrier islands off North Carolina, several vines successively colonize inland dunes: Virginia creeper, eastern poison-ivy, and saw greenbrier [2]. Saw greenbrier was reported from years 0 to 10 in oldfield succession in Georgia, but was not discussed for later stages and the authors implied that the early colonizers were crowded out by Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) and other species [27]. Saw greenbrier was the most widely distributed and abundant vine on a 3-year-old gravel pit in eastern Texas. It was present in successively lower numbers on a 5-year-old gravel pit, a 47-year-old gravel pit, and the adjacent unexcavated forest [44]. In Kansas, loss of American elms (Ulmus americana) to Dutch elm disease further opened an already open canopy and created conditions where cover values of woody and weedy species increased, including that of saw greenbrier [13]. In Florida, saw greenbrier occurred in a stand composed of large, old trees (mostly laurel oak [Quercus laurifolia], pignut hickory [Carya glabra], and magnolia [Magnolia grandiflora]) with no evidence of past fire, logging, or grazing [8].

More info for the term: fern

The currently accepted scientific name for saw greenbrier is Smilax
bona-nox L. (Smilacaceae, formerly Liliaceae) [12,16,19,30,41].

The following varieties are recognized by various authors:

S. b. var. bona-nox
S. b. var. hastata (Willd.) DC [12,30,41]
S. b. var. exaruiculata Fern. [12,41]
S. b. var. hederaefolia (Beyrich) Fern. [12,30,34,41]
S. b. var. littoralis Coker [41]

Throughout this write-up, the term 'greenbrier' will be used to refer to
cases where other Smilax species are treated with saw greenbrier, or
where Smilax species are undifferentiated.

More info for the terms: forest, frequency

Saw greenbrier occurred on unreclaimed lignite surface mine sites in east-central Texas. It was recorded on 15-, 30-, and 50-year-old sites and in adjacent undisturbed forest. Its highest frequency occurred in undisturbed forest sites [33].