Asparagus?^ LiHaceCB. 285 



1. A. raoemosus, Willd. Sp. PL ii. 152 (1799)- Chattavarl, T. 

 Katawariya, S. 



Thw. Enum. 337. A. sarmentosus^ Thw. 1. c. part (non L.). C. P. 

 2300 (part), and 2299 (part), 705 (part). 

 Fl. B. Ind. vi. 316. Wight, Ic. t. 2056. 



A tall, rambling and scandent, spinous, excessively 

 branched undershrub, rootstock tuberous, branches trique- 

 trous, spines \-\ in., straight or subrecurved ; cladodes 2-6-nate, 

 \-\ in. long, Jj in. broad in the middle, acicular, trigonous, 

 falcate, finely acuminate at both ends ; racemes 1-2 in., 

 many-fld., solitary or fascicled, simple, rarely branched ; 

 pedicels very slender, \ in., jointed at or above the middle ; 

 perianth tV"! i"- across, segm. oblong, obtuse ; anth. small, 

 shortly oblong, purplish ; ov. cells 6-ovuled ; berry 1-2-seeded, 

 globose or didymous, \-\ in. diam. 



Low country, mostly in the dry region ; common. Trincomalie 

 (Glenie) ; Bintenne (Thwaites) ; Puttalam ; Jaffna; Mihintale, &c. 



Fl. Feb., &c.; white, fragrant. 



Very variable in length of leaves and spines. In Herb. Peraden., 

 under C. P. 2299, there are, on the same sheet, flowering specimens of 

 A. goiioclados, with the pedicels jointed towards the base, and fruiting 

 specimens of raceniosus with stems jointed in the middle. In the 

 specimens numbered C. P. 705 and 2300 they are jointed above the 

 middle.— J. D. H. 



2. A. zeylanicus, Hk. f. in Fl. B. hid. vi. 317 (1892). 



A. san?ientosus, Thw. Enum. 337 (non L.). A. raceinosus, var. zey- 

 laniats, Baker in Journ. Linn. Soc. xiv. 263 ; Trim. Syst. Cat. 94. C. P. 

 2300 (part). 



Characters of A. raceinosus, but 1. more thickened in the 

 middle, up to tjV in- diam., fl. larger, up to \ in. diam., and 

 anth. much larger; the pedicels are jointed in the middle. 



Moist region, especially in the montane zone, reaching to 7500 ft.; 

 common. Fh'April, Nov.; white. 



The Fl. B. Ind. gives C. P. 2299 for this ; in Herb. Perad. that number 

 is made up oi A. racemosiis and A. gonodados. But C. P. 2299 and 2300 

 were made by the division of the old number, C. P. 737) and are much 

 mi.xed. — Trimcn. 



After examining the Herb. Peraden. specimens, I doubt this being 

 more than a variety of A. racemosus, as Baker originally determined, 

 Trimen had so considered it in his Syst. Cat., but in his list of species 

 prepared for this Handbook it is kept up. Thwaites also considered 

 it distinct, and referred it to A. sarmentosus., L. (see end of genus). 

 According to Trimen, it inhabits a much higher level than A. racemosus. 

 It has also a larger perianth and stamens. — J. D. H. 



3. A. falcatus, L. Sp. P/. 314 (1753). Hatawariya, 6". 



Herm. Mus. 2. Burm. Thes. 36. Fl. Zeyl. n. 123. Moon, Cat. 25. 



Thw. Enum. -^yj. C. P. 2298. 



Fl. B. Ind. vi. 318. Burm. Thes. t. xiii. f. 2. 



