Smilax rotundifolia

L.

Common Greenbrier

G5Secure Found in 51 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Medium - lowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.131702
Element CodePMSMI010M0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderLiliales
FamilySmilacaceae
GenusSmilax
COSEWICPS:SC,NAR
Other Common Names
roundleaf greenbrier (EN) Roundleaf Greenbrier (EN) Round-leaved Carrionflower (EN) Smilax à feuilles rondes (FR)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-02-05
Change Date1984-03-30
Edition Date2024-02-05
Edition AuthorsNordman, C. (2024).
Threat ImpactMedium - low
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Common Greenbrier (Smilax rotundifolia) occurs in eastern North America, from central Texas and Oklahoma, to central Missouri, southwestern Michigan, to northern Florida, and northeast to southern New Hampshire and southern Maine in the United States, and southern Ontario and Nova Scotia in Canada. In the southern and eastern United States, it occurs on many conservation lands, including National Forests, National Park Service lands, National Wildlife Refuges, State Forests, State Parks, and State Wildlife Management Areas. The fragmentation and loss of habitat is a threat, associated with residential development and urbanization.
Range Extent Comments
Common Greenbrier (Smilax rotundifolia) occurs in eastern North America, from central Texas and Oklahoma, to central Missouri, southwestern Michigan, to northern Florida, and northeast to southern New Hampshire and southern Maine in the United States, and southern Ontario and Nova Scotia in Canada. Range extent was estimated to be 3.0 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 2002, GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are more than 300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
The fragmentation and loss of habitat is a threat, associated with residential development and urbanization.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

"Dry-mesic to mesic forests and woodlands, bottomland and riparian forests, swamps, pond margins, bluffs, flatwoods, prairies, old fields, fencerows, pastures, roadsides" (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023).

Reproduction

Flowering from April through May or into June, fruiting September to November, fruit are blue-black to black, glaucous, globose berries, 5-8 mm (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 2002, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest EdgeOld field
Palustrine Habitats
SCRUB-SHRUB WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS2Yes
Nova ScotiaS4Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
New JerseyS5Yes
District of ColumbiaS5Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
FloridaS3Yes
AlabamaSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
North CarolinaS5Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
DelawareS5Yes
IndianaSNRYes
IowaSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
West VirginiaS5Yes
KentuckyS5Yes
MissouriSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
IllinoisS3Yes
OhioSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
South CarolinaS5Yes
MaineSNRYes
New YorkS5Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
South DakotaSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentRestricted - smallSerious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasRestricted - smallSerious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL, Long-lived, EVERGREEN
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (51)
Alabama (1)
AreaForestAcres
Cheaha BTalladega National Forest741
Arkansas (3)
AreaForestAcres
Devils CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,877
East ForkOzark-St. Francis National Forest13,037
Pedestal RocksOzark-St. Francis National Forest21,957
Georgia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Indian Grave GapChattahoochee National Forest1,020
Lance CreekChattahoochee National Forest9,025
Pink KnobChattahoochee National Forest12,127
Rocky MountainChattahoochee National Forest4,269
Illinois (1)
AreaForestAcres
Burke BranchShawnee National Forest6,231
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
North Carolina (13)
AreaForestAcres
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
BearwallowPisgah National Forest4,113
Cheoah BaldNantahala National Forest7,795
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Overflow CreekNantahala National Forest3,379
Slide HollowPisgah National Forest193
Wesser BaldNantahala National Forest4,061
Wilson CreekPisgah National Forest4,863
South Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big MountainSumter National Forest2,337
Tennessee (3)
AreaForestAcres
Brushy RidgeCherokee National Forest7,469
Slide HollowCherokee National Forest4,057
Sycamore CreekCherokee National Forest6,984
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Little Lake CreekNational Forests in Texas596
Virginia (15)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Brushy MountainJefferson National Forest4,168
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Laurel ForkGeorge Washington National Forest9,967
Mountain Lake Addition AJefferson National Forest1,469
Mountain Lake Addition B (VA)Jefferson National Forest3,405
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Oliver MountainGeorge Washington National Forest13,090
Raccoon BranchJefferson National Forest4,388
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
West Virginia (8)
AreaForestAcres
Canaan LoopMonongahela National Forest7,867
Cranberry Glades Botanical AreaMonongahela National Forest785
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
Glady ForkMonongahela National Forest3,239
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
Mountain Lake Addition B (WV)Jefferson National Forest557
North Mountain HopevilleMonongahela National Forest6,525
References (5)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 26. Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvi + 723 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2023. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 14, 2023. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2105 pp.