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| Online Flora of the Maltese Islands by Stephen Mifsud |
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Smilax aspera (Mediterranean Smilax) |
Smilax aspera (SMILACEAE.)
Images for this profile are taken from the Maltese Islands after year 2000.
Website launch: Oct-2002
Taxonomic update: Aug-2026
Code update: Jul-2026 |
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| Nomenclature and General Information |
Species name : |
Smilax asperaL.
Published in Sp. Pl. 1028 (1753) |
Synonyms :
(basionym or principal syn.) |
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Plant Family : |
Smilaceae Vent. (The Catbrier Family) Previously included in Liliaecea
1 species from the Smilaceae family is recorded from the Maltese Islands. | English name(s) : | Mediterranean Smilax, Common Smilax, Rough Smilax |
Maltese name(s) : |
Zalza pajżana |
Status for Malta : |
Indigenous. Present on the Maltese islands before man |
Frequency : |
Very Common Common Frequent Scarce Rare Very rare Extinct |
Growth form : |
Germination type [info]: Monocotyledon
Raunkiaer lifeform [info]: Nano-Phanerophyte ( small trees to large shrubs, usually shorter than 5 m ) |
Legal Protection : |
Not legally protected till the last update of this website (22/Aug/2025) |
Red List (1989) : |
Not listed in the Red Data Book of the Maltese Islands |
Flowering Time : |
September – November |
Colour of Flowers: |
Cream |
Toxicity: |
Not particularly toxic |
Name Derivation : |
Smilax: A Greek name used as a deadly or poisonous tree due to the fact that these vines are very aggressive and kill the host tree by overshading it. However, another derivation is for scratching climbers due to their thorns cling to host trees and large shrubs. (Greek origin)
aspera: Rough and harsh, possibly referring to its leathery leaves or to its scrambling habit using thorns. (Latin origin)
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Planting in rural areas : |
Encouraged to be planted in the wild that is in rural areas including ODZ. |
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Description, Habitat and Distribution | |
Botanical Description |
Stems up to 15 m, creeping, scrambling or climbing, angled, unarmed or sparsely to densely prickly. Leaves up to 11 x 10 cm (often smaller), usually coriaceous, narrowly to broadly lanceolate, triangular, oblong or ovate-lanceolate (rarely reniform), often abruptly narrowed above the cordate, hastate or sagittate (rarely more or less truncate) base, unarmed or with prickles on petiole, margin and principal veins beneath; petiole not thickened towards apex. Flowers 5-30 in fascicles or subsessile umbels on terminal and axillary axes 2-15(-45) cm. Perianth-segments 2-4 mm. Berry red or black. | |
Habitat in Europe |
Data will be available in the next update of this website.
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Preferred habitat in Malta |
Maquis and valley sides. Found climbing and twining around shrubs and trees.
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Chromosome number(s) |
2n=32 | |
Distributional range |
S. Europe.
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Distributional maps from various sources |
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Occurrences in Europe
(from Flora Europaea till 1993) |
Albania, the Azores, the Balaeric Islands, Corse, Crete, France (incl. Monaco and Channel Islands but excluding Corse), Greece, Spain (incl. Andorra but excl. the Balaerics), Italy (mainland, excl. Sicily and Sardinia), ex-Jugoslavia, Portugal, Sardinia, Sicily and/or Malta, Doubtful in Turkey (European part)
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Occurrences in Europe
(from Euro+Med Checklist till 2024)
Country codes
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AE(G) Ag Al Az Bl Ca Co Cr Cy Ga Gr Hs IJ It Ju Li LS Lu Ma Md Sa Si Tn Tu(A E)
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| Links & Further literature
(0 papers) |
Google Web |
Google Images |
Google Scholar |
Research Gate |
Wikipedia |
JSTOR |
GBIF |
Med Checklist |
Cat. of Life |
EoL |
IPNI |
World Flora Online |
Plants of the World Online |
Vienna Virt. Herb. |
RBGE Herbarium |
KEW Herbarium |
MNHN |
Garden Database |
IUCN |
TROPICOS |
Kindly Email if there are papers and publications about local
studies or information about this species to be included in the list above.
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Sales and Donations
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Sales of seeds of wild plant from Malta: Seeds of selected wild plant species may be available for academic studies, research purposes, or personal use. Please note that not all species can be supplied or exported. Availability is subject to seasonal seed production, stock levels, and applicable regulations, including Maltese legislation and CITES requirements where relevant. Protected and endemic species cannot be sold (at least without the relevant environmental permits).
How it works: First, submit a quotation request by completing the Online Quotation Form (link provided on the right side of this table). Once your request has been reviewed, you will receive confirmation regarding seed availability, export eligibility (where applicable), pricing, and any transport charges. Payments are accepted by Revolut, bank transfer (IBAN), or PayPal only; credit and debit card payments are not accepted.
Please note that local orders are currently not being accepted. Seek Maltese nurseries and NGOs for local orders.
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Online Quotation (Seeds)
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Online Purchase (Images)
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Atlas Flora Europaea
GBIF Distribution Map
WFO Distribution map
