406 



ASIMINA 



ASPARAGUS 



oblong, 2-6 in. long, dark brown. S. states, north to N. 

 Y., west to Mich, and Kan. S.S. 1 : 15, 16. B.M. 

 5854. Gn. 33, p. 321. G.F. 8:495. A.G. 44:713. R.H. 

 1911, pp. 134, 135. This is the only arborescent species 

 of the genus. It is well worth a place in the garden, for 

 its large foliage is very handsome and the fls., appear- 

 ing in the early spring, are attractive. The large fr. is 

 edible, and may be still improved by cult, and careful 

 selection of the best varieties. Many persons do not rel- 

 ish the highly aromatic flavor; and the large seeds are a 

 disadvantage. The tree has proved hardy in Mass. 

 and Ont. One or 2 named forms have been offered. 



grandifldra, Dunal. Shrub, 2-6 ft. : Ivs. cuneate, obo- 

 vate or oblong, obtuse, 2^1 in. long, rufous-pubescent 

 when young, at length glabrous and chartaceous: fls. 

 large, appearing with the Ivs.; outer petals cream-col- 

 ored, over 2 in. long, much larger than the inner ones: 

 the large fr. is said to be very delicious. S. Ga., Fla. 



ALFRED REHDER. 



ASPARAGUS (the Greek name). Liliacese. ASPARA- 

 GUS. SMILAX (greenhouse). ASPARAGUS FERN. A large 

 genus of herbaceous perennials and tender woody 

 shrubs and vines, grown mostly for ornamental habit 

 and foliage, but one of them (A. officinalis) for food. 



Plants provided with short underground rhizomes 

 from which the aerial sts. arise in serial order: roots 

 often tuberous, sometimes fleshy but long-cylindric as 

 in A. officinalis: sts. varying from low herbs to stout 

 woody vines 50 ft. or more long: Ivs. reduced to scale- 

 like bracts usually with a basal spur, often spiny; lf.- 

 function performed by special sterile twigs, cladodes 

 (phyllodia, cladophylls, i.e., If.-like branchlets) of 

 determinate growth and of characteristic shape with 

 each species (see Fig. 411): fls. usually axillary, or 

 terminal, in 1-4's, sometimes umbellate, 

 often racemose on special branches lacking 

 the cladodes, small; perianth 6-parted; sta- 

 mens 6, free, filament attached to base of 

 perianth lobes; ovary 3-celled, stigma 3- 

 paited (except in Section Kodiastigtna), 

 ovules 2-6 in locule: fr. a berry 1-, 3-, 6- 

 or more seeded; seed globose or flat on one 

 side, testa usually black, embryo straight, 

 surrounded by a hard endosperm. About 

 150 species, all native of the Old World, 

 ranging from Siberia to Cape of Good 

 Hope, usually from dry regions. Monogr. 

 by Baker, Journ. Linn. Soc. 14 (1875); 

 account of cult, species by Watson, G.C. 

 III. 23:122, 147, 178. 



This large genus is remarkable for its 

 lack of functional leaves, whose place is 

 taken by the leaf-like cladodes which are 

 usually considered as leaves. The cladodea 

 are usually borne in fascicles of three to 

 forty in the axils of the leaf-scale; in A. asparagoides 

 the leaf-like cladode is solitary in the axils. The woody 

 members of the genus often have the base of the leaf- 

 scale developed into a strong spine. In some groups 

 the cladodes are spiny tipped. A. stipulaceus and its 

 relatives (apparently not in cult.) have the side 

 branches developed into thorns. 



Most of the ornamentals of the genus 

 will not stand frost, but some of the 

 Asiatic forms are perfectly hardy except 

 in the North. Members of this genus 

 furnish the most satisfactory "green" for 

 decorative purposes known to the trade, 

 some of the forms rivaling the finest 

 ferns in their delicate beauty. Their 

 ability to hold up for several days with- 

 out wilting makes the cut sprays of some 

 of the species necessary in some forms 

 of decorative work. 



Nearly all the species are of easy cul- 



ture and can be propagated readily by seed which ia 

 usually produced in abundance; also propagated by 

 division and in some woody forms by cuttings. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



A. Lf .-scales with a basal spur or scale: 

 cladodes fascicled in axils of If. -scales 

 and, when flat, with stomata on both 



'2. verticillatus 



v . m 



remaie 



flower of As- 

 paragus offici- 



B. Fls. dioecious: fl.-buds axillary and 

 present on young shoots, developing 



with the cladodes Section EUASPARAGUS 



c. Cladodes filiform. 



D. Plant an erect herb: cladodes 



terete 1. officinalis 



DD. Plant a semi-woody vine: cla- 

 dodes angled 



cc. Cladodes flat, linear or linear- 

 lanceolate. 



D. Berry black: cladodes falcate, 

 }/^\^in.: branches with twigs 

 and cladodes in a horizontal 

 plane: fls. opening widely: an 



erect herb 3. filicinus 



DD. Berry white or pink: cladodes 

 nearly straight, 12 in., not in 



a definite plane: a vine 4. lucidus 



BB. Fla. perfect, usually appearing after 

 the cladodes or on special branches 

 on the old wood. 



c. Base of If. -scale a spur, often a 

 sharp spine: fls., when solitary, 

 in axils with cladodes. . Section ASPARAGOPSIS 

 D. Position of fls. axillary or ter- 

 minal, with cladodes. 

 E. Cladodes filiform or 3-angled. 

 F. The fls. not umbelled, 4 or less, 

 a. Shape of cladodes 3- 

 angled, in 3's: fls. axil- 

 lary: an herbaceous vine, 



tuberous-rooted 5. crispus 



oo. Shape of cladodes terete, 

 numerous: fls. terminal: 

 woody vines, not tu- 

 berous-rooted: branches 

 with twigs pinnate in a 

 horizontal plane. 

 H. Lf. -scales white or 

 whitish, spine deltoid: 

 sts. slender, smooth . . 6. plumosus 

 HH. Lf.-scales red-brown, 

 spine terete, strong 

 and sharp: sts. thick, 

 with short pubescence. 7. Cooperi 

 FF. The fls. in umbels. 



o. Plant a slender green- 

 stemmed vine: cladodes 



S-8 8. umbellatus 



oo. Plant stiff gray-stemmed 

 shrubby climber: cla- 

 dodes 10-20 9. retrofractus 



EE. Cladodes flat. 



F. Berry 3-lobed: cladodes lan- 

 ceolate: fls. terminal: erect 



shrub, 1 ft 10. madagascar- 



FF. Berry globose: cladodes lin- [ensii 



ear-falcate: fls. axillary: a 



delicate vine 11. scandens 



DD. Position of fls. in racemes on 



old wood. 



E. Cladodes S- or 4-angled, flat- 

 tened 12. tetragonus 



