Tas. 8288. | 
ASPARAGUS Pepe bnen, 
South Africa. 
Lintaczar. Tribe ASPARAGEAE. 
. Asparacus, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p, 765. 
. 
= te saeret is den MAS Sevan "Resbeeu efi Dab aanene Pam 
Asparagus tetragonus, Bresler, Gen. Aspar. Hist. No. 15; Schult. f. Syst. Veg. 
__-vol. vii. p. 8329; species ex affinitate A. racemosi, Willd., cladodiis breviori- 
__ bus perianthii segmentis obtusis exterioribus apice eroso-laciniatis differt. 
Suffrutex sarmentosus. Radix tuberis pluribus translucentibus ellipticis 
3 em. longis. 1:5 cm. latis instructa. Caulis teres, aculeis decurvis 
robustis lignosis 12 mm. longis instructus; ramuli acute triangulares, 
recti, angulis scabris, CZadodia saepius quinatim fasciculata, trigona vel 
tetravona, linearia, 14 mm. longa, mucronata, basi incrassata. Racemi 
plures, 6 cm. longi, patentes; bracteae 1-5 mm. longae, membranaceae, 
brunneae; pedicelli 8 mm. longi, infra medium articulati. Perianthii 
segmenta obovata, 3 mm. longa, alba, obtusa, exteriora eroso-laciniata, 
interiora obscure dentata. Stamina quam perianthium paullo breviora ; 
antherae 0-4 mm. longae, obtusae, dilute roseae. Ovarium ampullaeforme ; 
stylus brevis, crassus, trilobatus. Bacca globosa, 6 mm. in diametro, 
coccinea, —A. racemosus, var. tetragona, Baker in Journ, Linn. Soc. vol. xiv. 
p. 624, et in Dyer, Fl. Cap. vol. vi. p. 269.—C. H. Wrieut. 
Asparagus tetragonus is a member of the group of species 
of which A. racemosus, Willd., is the best known example. 
The general resemblance between these two species is con- 
siderable, and it has even been suggested that the subject 
of our plate may be no more than a variety of Willdenow’s 
species, which is a native of Tropical Asia and Africa. 
at A. tetragonus, which is a native of South Africa, and 
was first collected by Mund and Maire in Cape Colony, has 
broader perianth segments, the outer ones at least being 
almost laciniate, than is the case in A. racemosus where the 
perianth segments are oblanceolate, somewhat acute, and 
quite entire. The spines of the two species also differ some- 
what, those of A. tetragonus being stout and decurved, 
whereas those of A. racemosus are often straight and 
slender. In both species the cladodia vary considerably ; 
in the case of A. tetragonus some are compressed with a 
thick prominent rib on both faces and others are distinctly 
DecemBer, 1909. 
