Talk:Smilax ornata

We rememeber "Sas Shops" in South Yorkshire (England) in the 1950's - where flat (non cabonated) sarsaparilla was sold.

Adverse health risks?

The article mentions that sarsaparilla is no longer popular as a tonic because of its now known health risks. What health risks are those? Neither the article nor the annotation on that line clarifies the discovered risks. Please add more info. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.18.198.235 (talk) 19:14, 12 February 2010 (UTC) also was sold in WEST YORKSHIRE and as a child i to used to drink this,i would like to know where i can get it now .....? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.8.63.181 (talk) 04:41, 27 October 2010 (UTC)

The Smurfs

Shouldn't there be a line about the Smurfs and their fictional consumption of Sarsaparilla leaves?

• I assume you're being facetious

• Why not? I think it is indeed worth mentioning in a "trivia" section.

Might as well put in a reference to the big lebowski if you're gonna put in a trivia section. The cowboy/narrator asking for Sarsaparilla is a commonly quoted line from the film

• • Last I heard, Wikipedia guidelines frowned quite furiously on Trivia sections in articles. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 131.191.57.254 (talk) 07:13, 18 November 2010 (UTC)

Spam

Canned some possible spam (Check the appropriate diff) about Fitzpatricks. If I'm being stupid, just revert.

-- N3X15 08:07, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

Tree or Vine?

This article seems to be for both sarsaparilla and sasparilla. I know there is a tree called sasparilla, which this article mentions. Yet the entry for sasparilla re-directs here. I am also confused whether or not the drink "sasparilla" is called such because it uses the bark or root of the sasparilla tree, or if they indeed use the sarsaparilla vine. I thought it was the former, but perhaps it is the latter. I'm not sure. In any case, the word sasparilla should direct to the actual sasparilla tree entry, not the one for the sarsaparilla vine. The sasparilla tree could have a link back to this page, perhaps. 147.155.2.163 04:41, 9 February 2007 (UTC)

So is sasparilla the same thing as root beer, or not? Tom129.93.17.139 21:20, 1 July 2007 (UTC)

Sass also redirects here, but doesn't appear in the text. When you redirect, please make sure the term you're redirecting from is explained somewhere.--87.162.20.209 16:08, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Copyright vio?

The majority of this article appears to be verbatim text from a book; while it is attributed I'm not seeing any assertion that the copyright holder has granted Wikipedia rights to use it, nor any fair-use rationale. Either way, I think this requires an explanation and even if there is no copyright violation, the article needs extensive cleanup and wikification. I know nothing about the subject, so I'll leave it to others.

To be on the safe side, I've removed the apparent copyvio text from the article, for the reasons stated above. Smalljim 07:36, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

sorry

sorry for the hack up.... didn't know how to make the layout because I'm new. But did find some stuff out with sources.RYNORT 08:28, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

That's what the Sandbox is for... Pierce Phillips (talk) 23:24, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Soft drink

What is the flavor of the root, as found in the soft drink called sarsaparilla? Badagnani (talk) 00:28, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Apparently the soft drink sarsaparilla does not contain any sarsaparilla. Why, then, is it called sarsaparilla? Badagnani (talk) 02:21, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

• It may have that name for a reason similar to the naming of the beverage egg cream (which contains neither eggs nor cream); perhaps it tastes like sarsaparilla, or it once contained sarsaparilla. B7T (talk) 17:40, 26 March 2008 (UTC)
• According to the soft drink article, sarsaparilla was indeed added to some early soda fountain beverages. B7T (talk) 23:57, 27 March 2008 (UTC)

Nooooooo.... What we call "root beer" is flavored with Sassafras, whereas "sarsaparilla" (or "sasaparilla") is flavored with sarsaparilla. The two articles just demonstrate the modern confusion between the two. They are distinctly different, and not at all interchangeable. Sarsaparilla is NOT root beer. Fuzzform (talk) 08:45, 2 February 2009 (UTC)

It is only in modern times that pseudo-sarsaparilla is no longer flavored with actual sarsaparilla. I'm aghast at the state this article is in... Root beer = sassafras, sarsaparilla = sarsaparilla! Fuzzform (talk) 08:50, 2 February 2009 (UTC)

Drinking a "Big Sars" Sarsaparilla drink- brand Kirks- right now. Tastes like a Sweet Licorice/ Ginger drink, however no mention of Sarsaparilla anywhere in the ingredients.--220.253.82.103 (talk) 06:01, 31 May 2009 (UTC)

Historical use as medical treatment

First of all, you can't state that something either cures or treats something without medical evidence that it's true. You need to be careful to state that it was used to treat that because they THOUGHT it treated it, but not state that it actually worked without modern medical evidence. Second of all, you need more reliable sources than a random website on herbs. Nathan J. Yoder (talk) 21:52, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

I think it is reasonable to use the word 'treat' even if it efficacy is doubtful or non-existent. Far Canal (talk) 06:01, 16 May 2008 (UTC)

I agree with Nathan, regardless of whether or not it is technically correct to use the word 'treat', it does tend to leave the impression on the reader that it is indeed a valid and correct treatment. There are other ways to phrase it that carefully state that it was used as what was considered a valid treatment without actually saying it does (or does not) work. Saberswordsmen1 (talk) 09:11, 16 May 2008 (UTC)

WikiProject Food and drink Tagging

This article talk page was automatically added with {{WikiProject Food and drink}} banner as it falls under Category:Food or one of its subcategories. If you find this addition an error, Kindly undo the changes and update the inappropriate categories if needed. The bot was instructed to tagg these articles upon consenus from WikiProject Food and drink. You can find the related request for tagging here . If you have concerns , please inform on the project talk page -- TinucherianBot (talk) 16:00, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Article too short.

There's tons of info on sarsaparilla here: http://www.innvista.com/health/herbs/sarsapar.htm Also, why is it no longer an ingredient in root beer? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.160.77.255 (talk) 22:31, 23 November 2008 (UTC)

Sarsaparilla is not "root beer"!

See above section "Soft drink". The two are not the same. They use completely different flavorings.Fuzzform (talk) 08:47, 2 February 2009 (UTC)

While true it is sometimes used as a secondary ingredient in root beer, depending on the recipe. Livingston 19:47, 27 April 2009 (UTC)

It seems that historically in the US as a commercial soda both root beer and sarsaparilla were based on sassafras (and later on artificial sassafras). [1] [2] -96.237.15.180 (talk) 01:43, 1 September 2010 (UTC)

Soft Drink Part 2

Why is this listed under the Soft Drinks WikiProject yet the article makes no mention of the soft drink? Livingston 19:44, 27 April 2009 (UTC)

This is not an article

This is not an article or even a stub. Did someone vandalise it? Spanglej (talk) 22:19, 11 May 2009 (UTC)

Sarsparilla in Faulkner

It's been a while since I read Faulkner, but as I recall it Sarsaparilla was the favorite beverage of a lot of the younger characters in Faulkner's novels as well. This could/should be included in the popular culture section. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.229.178.153 (talk) 14:02, 1 June 2009 (UTC)

Get Your Facts Rights!

I have a few comments about this page.

1. In Australia where I was born and have lived my entire life, sarsaparilla is avalible in most shops (coner stores, IGA's, news agencies, petrol stations, some if not most bars, pubs and clubs) not just big chains like coles and woolworths and always has been.
2. Also there are many brands that produce sarsaparilla like Golden Circle, Cascade,Bickfords, Bunderburg, P&N and quite a few others.
3. No Australlian produced sarsaparilla is called root beer that is an entirely diffrent drink. Root beer is a sweeter form of Ginger beer which is not very popular here. (Ginger is a root hence why it is called a root beer, while Sarsaparilla is a drupe like a peach).

Please fix this article and add more info like history where it was created by whome etc. ~ Awar (talk) 12:07, 21 September 2009 (UTC)

To any Australian users, could you inform if australian sarsaparilla is made from the berries or the root? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.180.28.59 (talk) 03:50, 18 June 2012 (UTC)

"Old West". Really?

We talked about sarsaparilla soft drinks at some length in the agriculture department and after looking into it, we could find no evidence that supports the assertion that "Sarsaparilla was a popular drink in the Old West (1820-1890s)." Most manufacturers in the 19th century were actually on the East Coast (U.S.) and Southeastern United States, although one can assume it was shipped or produced in the West, as well. We came to the unsupported conclusion that children's western film serials in the 40's and 50's and Yosemite Sam's well known catch phrase "gimme a sasparilly and make it snappy!" contributed to the unverifiable assumption that it was more popular in the Old West than in other parts of the U.S. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cowpunk123 (talk • contribs) 23:43, 23 August 2010 (UTC)

And the citation for "Old West" assertion is an IMDB link for a character's quote from The Big Lebowski? The entirety of which is:

The Stranger: Say, friend - you got any more of that good sarsaparilla?

I'm removing it. Someone can revert if they have a real citation. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Troymc (talk • contribs) 19:17, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

The "fix" on this page as of 6/16/2012 is absurd. "Sarsaparilla drinks feature widely in American popular culture, particularly in works related to the American West (often called, incorrectly, "sassparilla")". Bullshit. The pronunciation is dialect. It is always spelled sarsaparilla. Btw, "Western" is the name of the genre. Is using the term "works related to the American West" supposed to sound more scienticiffy? Horrible. 98.180.28.59 (talk) 03:49, 18 June 2012 (UTC)

The pronunciation is dialect? It's a pretty big dialect! As I noted on the talk page for "Sarsaparilla," that's how it's pronounced even by rhotic speakers (those who put in preconsonantal and final r's). It's like "ass" instead of "arse." Kostaki mou (talk) 14:54, 23 September 2015 (UTC)

Pop Culture

Think we could add Fallout: New Vegas? It features a fictional soda called "Sunset Sarsaparilla."Halofanatic333 (talk) 12:03, 12 January 2011 (UTC)

Do we really need this section at all? If we just removed the pop culture section, I wouldn't miss it at all. Jolta (talk) 10:09, 30 January 2011 (UTC)

There, I went and removed the trivia section. My opinion is that it was unnecessary and repetitive in nature, and most of it (except maybe the Smurfs) could be encapsulated in a single sentence. Feel free to revert my edit if I was being too trigger happy. Jolta (talk) 17:39, 24 July 2011 (UTC)

This drink is discussed in the popular family Television show; My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Most notably in episode 3: Ticket Master when Pinkie Pie is fantasizing about the grand galloping galla. So, should we add that? My Little Pony is pretty popular. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ericlester (talk • contribs) 03:25, 8 May 2011 (UTC)

We have a picture of a can, but not of the plant itself. How odd! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.70.58.119 (talk) 03:16, 8 April 2012 (UTC)

Beverage Distribution

In the event that this is of any use to whoever maintains this page, sarsaparilla drink has been gaining popularity in Indonesia over the 11 years I've lived here. Initially, I was only able to find root beer but now, actually, it's just as easy for me to get sarsaparilla. Just before Christmas 2012, I was able to find A&W, Naraya, and Bickford's, too, although the latter is too expensive for the average consumer (and too sour for my taste). As I recall, F&N also produces this drink. I've seen it in Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya and Purwokerto, for example (all on the island of Java). Interestingly, where I live now (Purwokerto), it's easier to find sarsaparilla in the stores than real root beer. Out of the 4 brands I found (the 3 above plus one other), only one had root beer and the others offered sarsaparilla.ReveurGAM (talk) 08:17, 4 January 2013 (UTC)

Page move

Wait a minute, I'd just like some confirmation here.

• I moved Smilax regelii to Smilax ornata in good faith, trusting that the move was uncontroversial.
• IPNI tells me twice here and here that Smilax regelii is a synonym of Smilax grandifolia.
• Is Smilax regelii a junior synonym of Smilax ornata, or am I missing something?

Pete "deffo not a Botanist" AU aka --Shirt58 (talk) 14:09, 7 August 2014 (UTC)

I think the move was probably incorrect, but the situation is complicated and murky. From what I can tell, S. regelii is a replacement name for the plant Regel described as S. grandifolia in 1856 (somebody else had already named a different plant S. grandifolia in 1843, so Regel's name was a homonym). S. ornata was described in 1865, but if ornata is considered to be the same species as Regel's grandifolia, the replacement name S. regelii should be used. However, Kilip & Morton's publication of regelii may not have designated a type specimen correctly. I'll have a chance next week to ask somebody involved with the issue about the designation of the type. Plantdrew (talk) 05:24, 8 August 2014 (UTC)

Sorry, it seemed uncontroversial to me, initially because the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families is definite about it, and is a very authoritative source. USDA GRIN was cited, but is, unfortunately, rather out of date on many synonyms. IPNI is not a suitable source for information about synonyms, it states that two names are nomenclatural synonyms if they share the same type (specimen), but makes no judgements about taxonomic matters. S. grandifolia was, as Plantdrew points out, an illegitimate homonym. S. regelii was published as a replacement name for that, whether correctly or not, I do not know. The taxonomic judgment enshrined in WCSP is that S. regelii Killip & C.V. Morton 1936 and S. ornata Lem. 1865 are the same species. I thought it rather unfortunate that the S. regelii page was using USDA GRIN's statement that the illegitimate name Smilax ornata Hook. 1889 is a synonym of S. regelii, which could easily be confused with the other Smilax ornata, which is perfectly fine, is considered by experts to be the same species as S. regelii, and in that case has priority over S. regelii. The illegitimate S. ornata is missing from WCSP and theplantlist, so I've added tropicos as a second source for the synonym list, since it says that it is a synonym of S. regelii.

Hooker's supposed creation of a new name is visible in the Biodiversity Heritage Library. The text goes into some detail about Lemaire's use of a question mark to say that although not identifiable it might not have been a new species. I think it's clear that Hooker was intending to use Lemaire's name, not to create a new name, so I haven't suggested to WCSP and IPNI that they should add that Hooker name.

Lemaire's discourse on how the plant he has cannot be identified to any known species and that he is giving it a name, can be seen here. I think that satisfies all the requirements of the code of nomenclature. Sminthopsis84 (talk) 02:59, 12 August 2014 (UTC)

I was getting confused about how priority works with replacement names. Disregard some of what I said above. If regelii and ornata are considered the same species, ornata still has priority. Plantdrew (talk) 23:19, 12 August 2014 (UTC)