Tas. 7728. 
ASPARAGUS TERNIFOLIUS, 
Native of Natal. 
Nat. Ord. Lit1ace”.—Tribe ASPARAGEA, 
Genus Asparaaus, Linn. ; (Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 765.) 
Asparacus (Asparagopsis) ternifolius; alte scandens, caule volubili, gracile 
tereti sulcato, ramulis flexuosis patulis v. deflexis suleatis angulatis 
angulis rugulosis, spinis 3-3 poll. longis pungentibus, cladodiis 3-8-natis 
linearibus v. anguste lineari-lanceolatis rectis y. falcatis 3-1 poll. longis 
ts-g poll. latis acutis v. acuminatis planis, racemis solitariis v. 1-3- 
natis 1-2-poll. longis fere ad basin multifloris, rhachi stricto 6-gono 
angulis ragulosis apice nudo v. cladodiis instructo, pedicellis 3-3 poll. 
longis medio versus articulatis, bracteis parvis lanceolatis, perianthio ad 
2 poll. diam. segmentis patenti-recurvis obovato-oblongis obtusis, filamen- 
tis perianthio ad } brevioribus, antheris majusculis oblongis aurantiacis, 
ovario ad 12-ovulato. : 
A. xthiopicus, Linn. var. ternifolius, Baker in Saunders, Refug. Bot. t. 261. 
Gard. Chron. 1872, p. 1588, fig. 338. 
A. faleatus, Baker in Journ. Linn. Soe. vol. xiv. (1875) p. 626; in Flor. Trop. 
Afr. vol. vii. p. 485 (non Linn.) 
The species of Asparagus, of which one hundred and 
forty are enumerated in the Index Kewensis, are often very 
difficult of discrimination; that which I here describe as 
A. ternifolius, was regarded by Mr. Baker first as a variety 
(ternifolius) of A. xthiopicus, Linn., from which it differs 
in the larger broad cladodes, angular rhachis of the 
raceme, larger flowers, shorter filaments, and oblong 
anthers, and subsequently as the same as A. falcatus, 
Linn., of Ceylon, which has much fewer and smaller flowers 
in the raceme, the rhachis of which is very short, and quite 
smooth, its pedicels are jointed far below the middle, its 
bracts are cymbiform, its filaments are nearly as long 
= the perianth-segments, and the anthers smaller and 
globose. : 
A. ternifolius was first described from specimens that 
flowered in the late Mr. Wilson Saunders’ rich collection 
of Cape plants at Reigate, the seeds of which were sent 
from Natal by Thomas Cooper (Mr. Saunders’ collector). 
The only native specimen of it which I have seen 1s in 
Asvust sz, 1900, 
