Asparagus. | CXL. LILIACEE (BAKER). 427 
3. A. petersianus, Kunth, Enum. v.72. Stems erect, glabrous, 
smooth, terete, very much branched; branches crowded, spreading ; 
branchlets spreading, 4—5 in, long. Leaves not produced into a basal 
spur. Cladodia in dense crowded fascicles, capillary, curved, angled, 
4-4 in. long. Flowers and fruit unknown.—Garcke in Peters, Reise 
Mossamb. Bot. 520; Baker in Journ. Linn. Soc. xiv. 614, partly. 
Mozamb. Dist. Portuguese East Africa: Cape Cabeceira, Peters. 
No specimen at Kew. 
4. A. psilurus, Welw. ex Baker in Trans. Linn. Soc. ser. 2, Bot. 
i. 253. An erect herb, 2-3 ft. long, with the habit of A. officinalis. 
Branchlets copious, slender, ascending, 4—1 ft. long. Leaves without a 
spiny spur. Cladodia 6-8 in a cluster, subulate, ascending, 4—2 in. 
long. Flowers solitary or in pairs, often produced from leafless nodes ; 
pedicels 4—4 in. long, articulated at the middle. Perianth 4-4 in. long ; 
segments spreading very little. Anthers minute, oblong. Berry when 
dried 4 in. diam. 
Lower Guinea. Angola: Pungo Andongo; frequent in thickets at Cuanza, 
Welwitsch, 3868! 3869! 3870! 3871! 
5. A. benguellensis, Baker in Trans. Linn. Soc. ser. 2, Bot. i. 253. 
A decumbent glabrous subscandent shrub. Branches copiously pinnate ; 
branchlets ascending or spreading; 4-6 in. long, with short internodes. 
Spur of lower leaves not spinous. Cladodia 3-6 in a cluster, slender, 
subulate, ascending, 4—2 in. long. Flowers usually 1-2, rarely 3-4 in a 
cluster; pedicels LJ in. long, articulated at the middle. Perianth 
funnel-shaped, } in. long. Anthers oblong, minute, much shorter than 
the filaments. 
Lower Guinea, Angola: Mossamedes and Huilla ; in thickets at Mumpullo, 
Welwitsch, 3872! 3873! 
6. A. shirensis, Baker. A climbing shrub. Branches long, 
slender, terete, densely pubescent, whiplike, with a few short (A in. 
long) branchlets spreading from them at right angles and ending in a 
cluster of flowers. Leaves without any spinous spur. Cladodia entirely 
obsolete. Flowers several in a cluster; pedicels very slender, 4 in. 
long, articulated a little above the base. Perianth ~% in. long; segments 
scarcely spreading. Anthers oblong, minute, much shorter than the 
filaments. 
Mozamb. Dist. British Central Africa: Nyasaland, Buchanan, 1003! 
7. A. pilosus, Baker in Journ. Linn. Soc. xiv. 610. A climbing 
shrub, with slender white densely pilose subterete branchlets, with lower 
internodes 4-4 in. long. Leaves without a pungent spur. Cladodia 
3-8 in a cluster, ascending, subulate, rigid, 4-4 in. long. Flowers 2-6 
to a node ; pedicels 4-} in. long, articulated at the middle. Perianth 
zz in. long; segments scarcely spreading. Anthers minute, oblong, 
much shorter than the filaments. 
Mozamb. Dist. British Central Africa: Ngamiland; near Lake Ngami, 
McCabe 15! 
