Asparagus."] OLVI. LILIACEJ:. (J. D. Hooker.) 317 



Himalaya to 4000 ft. from Kashmir eastwards. DISTRIB. Tropical Africa, Java and 

 Australia. 



A tall climbing excessively branched undershrub ; roots tuberous. Spines %-\ in., 

 straight or subrecurved. Cladodes 1 in., channelled beneath. Racemes 1-2 in. ; 

 pedicels in., jointed in the middle. Perianth T \-| in. diam. ; anthers minute, 

 oblong, purplish. Ovules 6-8 in each cell Berry i in. diam. Thwaites observes 

 that the leaves are wide on specimens growing on the hills. Baker has the following 

 varieties : 



Var. javanica, Baker 1. c. 624 ; cladodes -1 in., very slender erect flexuous, 

 racemes narrow with terminal tufts of cladodes, perianth segments narrower. As- 

 paragopsis javanica, Miguel Fl. Ind. Bat. iii. 562. A. sarmentosa, Dalz. 8f Gibs. 

 JBomb. FL 246 (not of Kunth). Deccan Peninsula, Java. 



Var. subacerosa, Baker 1. c. ; cladodes strict^ f in. stout, racemes small few-fld., 

 rachis and pedicels capillary. Sikkim, alt. 1-4000 ft., J. D. H. A form approaching 

 A. acerosus. 



11. A. zeylanicus, Hook. f. ; stem stout smooth obscurely angled, 

 branches acutely angled, cladodes 3-5-nate \ in. stout falcate triquetrous 

 narrowed to both ends tips subspinescent, racemes 3-5 in. very stout, bracts 

 lanceolate, flowers large, anthers large. A. acerosus, var. zeylanicus, 

 Baker in Journ. Linn. Soc. xiv. 623. 



CEYLON, alt. 6000ft., Walker; at Newera Elia, Gardner, Thwaites (Cp. 2299). 

 The stout triquetrous cladodes thickened in the middle, stout racemes, large 

 flowers in. diam., and large anthers seem to distinguish this from A. racemosus. 



12. A. laevissimus, Steud. in Hohen. PL exsicc. Nilffk.-^Nos. 1304, 

 1305 ; stem subscandent terete smooth, branches very slender triquetrous, 

 spines short strong, cladodes 3-6-nate i in. spreading stout triquetrous 

 acuminate, racemes dense-fld., pedicels very short, bracts large cymbiform, 



Esrianth-segments widely spreading 1 , anthers minute. Baker in Journ. 

 inn. Soc. xiv. 623. A. volubilis, Wall. Gat. 5154 K. 



WESTERN GHATS, from the Concan southwards. 



Differs from A. racemosus, of which Baker says it is little more than a variety, 

 chiefly in the longer cladodes, and large bracts, which sometimes exceed the 

 pedicels. 



13. A. acerosus, Roxb. Fl. Ind. ii. 150 ; stem tall subscandent smooth, 

 branch-lets very slender stiff ascending angled, spines short recurved, 

 cladodes 3-6-nate l-2 in. suberect strict triquetrous acuminate, racemes 

 short solitary or 2-nate, bracts lanceolate concave, perianth-segments 

 widely spreading. Baker in Journ. Linn. Soc. xiv. 624 ; Wall. Cat. 5152 

 C, D, E. A. fasciculatus, Br. Prodr. 281 (in part). Asparagopsis acerosa 

 and Brownei (in part), Kunth JEnum. v. 102, 103. 



BENGAL, Roxburgh, Clarke, Ac. CHITTAGONG- (cult.), J. J). H. fy T. T. PEGTT, 

 McLelland. BURMA, WallicA, &c. DISTRIB. N. Australia. 



An excessively branched under-shrub; roots tuberous, branchlets grooved. 

 Spines i- 5 in., slightly curved. Cladodes shining, persistent. Racemes 1-1^ in. ; 

 pedicels - in., jointed in the middle. Flowers pure white, fragrant ; anthers 

 minute, subglobose. Ovules many in each cell. Berry - in. diam., 1-seeded. 



14. A. adscendexiS) JRoxb. Fl. Ind. ii. 153; stem tall stout suberect 

 terete smooth white, branchlets grooved ascending angled, angles minutely 

 scabrid, spines long, cladodes 6-20-nate - in. slender filiform terete sub- 

 erect or curved, racemes many-fid., bracts minute, perianth-segments 



