TOO ASPAllAGACE^. (ASrAKAGUt? FAMILY.) 



.ntforse. Ovary 3-celled, -witli 2-oo ovules in each cell; style straight, 

 filiform ; stigma o-lobecl. Berry succuleut, 3-celled, or by abortion 1- 

 celled. Seeds globular or triquetrous — Perennial herbs or branching 

 shrubs. The leaves reduced to scales, often produced into a spur or 

 prickle at base. The sterile branches (cladodia) clustered in the axils, 

 or rarely solitary. Flowers by abortion dicecious or polygamous; rarely 

 hermaphrodite, born(? on jointed pedicels. 



* Clododi:i clustered. j| 



1. A. Palaestiuus, Baker. If .6 to 1; stem flexuous ; branches 

 spreading or reflexed. Leaves not spurred. Cladodia 3-8, S2<5wk?f, .01 to 

 .014 long, slender, \}GdiicQ\s solitary , twice as long as flower ; perigonium 

 hemi&pherkal — Spring • - Jordan Valley and around Dead Sea ; Jaffa. 



2. A, LtO^vuei, Baker. If .6 to 1 or more; stem flexuous; 

 branches spreading or reflexed. Leaves not spurred. Cladodia 4-8, 

 setaceous, .015 to .024 long, flaccid. Pedicels twm, twice and a half as 

 long as flower ; perigonium funnel-shaped — Spring — Near Jericho 

 (Lowne) . Probably a variety of the last. 



3. A. acutifoliu§, L. 5 Ho^lyi^^n. .5 to 1, intricately branched, 

 the branches and twigs striate, relvety. Loioer leaves spurred at lase. 

 Cladodia 4-13, clustered, divergent, subulate, rigid, nearly equal, .003 

 to .008 long, mucronate. Peduncles 1-3; divisions of perianth nearly 

 equal; filaments alout twice as long as anther; berry black, .005 iu 

 diameter — Autumn — Dry places; coast to middle mountain regions. 

 The young shoots arc brought to market, and used as food like tlie 

 cultivated Asparagus. 



4. A. upliyllus, L. ^ Si to 1, intricately branched, the branches 

 and twigs spreading, angled, scabrous. Lower leaves deltoid- spur red,' 

 at lengt^i pricMy. ctadodia 2-0, clustered, unequal, thick, .005 to .01 

 long, at length jjricliy. Peduncles 1-2, nodding; iriner divisions of 

 ptriantli sliorter, incurved at tip ; filaments one-third longer than anther ; 

 berry black, .005 in diameter — Autumn — Dry places; coast to middle 

 mountain regions. Too near the last. 



* * Cladodia usually solitary. 



5. A. stipulaiis, Forsk. If Stems erect, intricately branched, 

 climbing over hedges; branches angled-gi'ooved. Loiur leaves produced 

 at hase into short pricldes. Cladodia thiclc, .0015 to .002 in diameter, 

 solitary or 1-2 in a cluster. .01 to .05 long, spreading, pricldy -tipped. 

 Peduncles 1-2, once and a half as long as flower; divisions of periantli 

 alike; berry a little smaller than ajica — Spring — Coast; Jordan Valley. 



Yar. bracbyelaclos, Boiss. Cladodia .01 or less. 



3. RllSCrS, Tourn. Kuscus. 



Flowers dioecious. Perigonium greenish, marcescent, G-parted, the 

 segments at length spreading, the interior narrower, covered in the bud. 

 Staminate flowers. Stamens 3, connate into an ovate tubule, at the 

 apex of which are three anthers -with divergent cells. Pistillate floioers. 

 Filaments connate in a tubule surrounding the pistil, destitute of an- 

 thers. Ovary sessile, 3-celled, -with 2 ovules in each cell; style short, 



