Medicinal Herbs

Smilax Root Extract

Smilax glabra

Smilax (Smilax glabra) is a thornless perennial climber four to five metres long, with slender branches and long tendrils, and firm oval leaves 5-13cm long and 3-7cm across, three fine veins running from the base. Its flowers come in umbels of twenty to thirty, followed by round berries 6-7mm across holding three seeds. The plant grows wild throughout Vietnam. The rhizome is the part taken, lifted at any time of year but best in autumn and winter; the small roots are trimmed off, and it is washed and sliced thin while still damp, or softened first in hot water, then dried. The slices are later simmered in water.