From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :
Smilax \Smi"lax\, n. [L., bindweed, Gr. ???.] (Bot.) (a) A genus of perennial climbing plants, usually with a prickly woody stem; green brier, or cat brier. The rootstocks of certain species are the source of the medicine called sarsaparilla. (b) A delicate trailing plant ({Myrsiphyllum asparagoides) much used for decoration. It is a native of the Cape of Good Hope. [1913 Webster]From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) :
Smilax n 1: sometimes placed in Smilacaceae [syn: Smilax, genus Smilax] 2: fragile twining plant of South Africa with bright green flattened stems and glossy foliage popular as a floral decoration [syn: smilax, Asparagus asparagoides]