LILIACEAE 948 
1. Flowers racemose; stems spiny; “leaves” (cladodes) narrow, flattened. 
1. A. spengeri 
1. Flowers solitary or fascicled; “leaves” (cladodes) setaceous. 
2. Erect, unarmed, the branches verticillately spreading; “leaves” 
(eladodes) 5 to 16: mim longi h..200200.. Aue. 2. A. officinalis 
2. Climbing or ascending, branches and branchlets horizontally spreading; 
“leaves” (cladodes) 5 mm long or less.......................... 3. A. plumosus 
*1. A. SPRENGERI Regel. 
Stems straggling or pendulous, round, striate, the branchlets subtended 
by slender sharp spines 0.5 em long or less. Cladodes (branchlets) tufted, 
flattened, linear, straight or curved, 1 to 1.5 cm, long. Racemes axillary, 
spreading, 2 to 5 cm long. Flowers white, somewhat fragrant, about 5 mm 
in diameter, the anthers orange-yellow. Fruits globose, red, fleshy, about 
8 mm in diameter, containing about 2 seeds. 
Quite common in cultivation as an ornamental plant, flowering and 
fruiting freely. A plant of recent introduction, a native of South Africa. 
*2. A. OFFICINALIS L. Esparrago (Sp.); Asparagus. 
An erect, unarmed, branched herb 2 m high, or here usually much less, 
the stem and branches green. Leaves (scales) very minute, the cladodes 
(branchlets) fascicled, slender terete, 0.5 to 1.5 cm long. Flowers axillary, 
fascicled, solitary or in pairs, pedicelled, the perianth straw-yellow, or 
greenish-yellow, about 5 mm long. Fruit globose, fleshy, red. 
Cultivated for ornamental purposes and by Chinese gardeners for the 
local market, fl. most of the year. A native of Europe, now cultivated in 
all temperate and subtemperate regions. 
*3. A. PLUMOSUS Baker. 
A slender, climbing or ascending, branched perennial, the stems round, 
_green, the branches and branchlets very numerous, slender, spreading 
horizontally forming fern-like sprays, the upper internodes 1 to 2 mm long. 
Cladodes setaceous, very slender, 3 to 5 mm long, ascending or spreading, 
6 to 12 in a fascicle. Flowers small, perfect, solitary at the ends of the 
branches, the pedicels very short, about 1 mm long. Perianth-segments 
about 2 mm long, spreading. 
Cultivated for ornamental purposes, of recent introduction here. A 
native of South Africa, now cultivated in most warm countries. 
8. ALLIUM Linnaeus 
Rank-scented herbs from underground tunicated bulbs, the leaves narrow, 
flat or cylindric, the flowers capitate or umbelled at the apex of an erect 
scape, all at first enclosed by 1 to 3 thin sheaths. Perianth-segments 6, 
free or united below, usually spreading. Stamens hypogynous or inserted 
on the perianth, the filaments free or connate below. Ovary 3-angled, 
3-celled; cells few-ovuled. Fruit a small loculicidal capsule. (Ancient 
Latin name of the garlic.) 
Species about 250 in all parts of the North Temperate zone, a few 
introduced and cultivated in the Philippines. 
Leaves cylindric, inflated.......--.......-..21.c.--c--sceccstonesecseesstntececonensennenses 1. A. cepa 
aa CS cenit panei phpnonseaeanan nate 2. A. porrum 
