Sarsaparilla

Description

Any climbing plant of the genus Smilax native to North and Central America. The roots of sarsaparilla plants are used for the flavoring in root beer. The ripe blue-black berries of the plants are used for dyes. The colors can be green, blue or purple depending on the mordant.

Synonyms and Related Terms

bristly sarsaparilla; sassparilla (sp); wild elder; dwarf elder; hyeble; pigeon berry

Authority

• R.J. Adrosko, Natural Dyes in the United States, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC, 1968

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998

• Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "sarsaparilla." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2004. Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. 8 Dec. 2004 .