bull brier

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun A name given to species of Smilax, S. Pseudo-China and S. tamnoides, of the southern United States, which have tuberous roots, and stems armed with stout prickles.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• (Bot.) A species of Smilax (Smilax Pseudo-China) growing from New Jersey to the Gulf of Mexico, which has very large tuberous and farinaceous rootstocks, formerly used by the Indians for a sort of bread, and by the negroes as an ingredient in making beer; -- called also bamboo brier and China brier.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun a very prickly woody vine of the eastern United States growing in tangled masses having tough round stems with shiny leathery leaves and small greenish flowers followed by clusters of inedible shiny black berries