ASPARAGUS 



ASPARAGUS 



407 



BE. Cladodes flat, linear or linear- 

 lanceolate. 



T. The cladodes arranged in 

 horizontal plane on twigs: 



a long vine 13. drepano- 



FF. The cladodes not in one plane. [phyllus 



o. Length of cladodes about 

 1 in.: st. 6 ft. or less: 



spines small 14. Sprengeri 



oo. Length of cladodes 2-3 

 in.: a rank-growing 



vine, 20-40 ft 15. falcatus 



cc. Base of If.-scale oppressed, bract- 

 like: stigma capitate: fls. solitary 

 in axils without cladodes. 



Section KODIASTIGMA. .16. virgatus 

 AA. Lf.-scales not spurred: fls. axillary: 

 cladodes solitary in axils, flat, If. -like, 

 stomata only on lower side. 



Section MYRSIPHYLLUM . .17. asparagoides 



1. officinalis, Linn. ASPARAGUS. Figs. 402, 403. An 

 erect herb from a woody crown with long fleshy roots: 

 sts. smooth, much branched above, 4-12 ft. high: cla- 

 dodes 3-8 in a fascicle, J^-l in. long, terete: If.-scale 

 with a short soft spur at base: fls. 1-4, in axils with 

 cladodes or branches, campanulate, yellowish green: 

 berries red, J^-J^in., 1-9-seeded; seed germinate in 

 12-14 days in warmhouse, often taking a month when 

 planted outdoors in spring. Eu. The esculent aspar- 

 agus of the garden, the fruiting sprays with the bright 

 red berries used for decorating. n 



The young seedlings developed *"" . . "^ 

 from a large number of seed 

 planted in a small pot or pan 

 make a very handsome table de- 

 coration. See Asparagus, Esculent. 



2. verticillatus, Linn. A semi- 

 woody climbing vine from a woody 

 rootstock: roots long-cylindric, 

 fleshy: sts. stout (J#n.), 10-15 ft. 

 long, edible when young: branches 

 green, angled, flexuose: cladodes 



3-8, %-2 in. long, angled, filiform, not stiff: If .-scales 

 of main st. developed below into spines: fls. funnel- 

 shaped in 1 4's in axils of If. -scales: berries red, }^in. 

 diam., 1-3-seeded. Persia to Siberia. R.B. 20:154. 

 G.W. 14:648. G.Z. 24:505. A hardy ornamental 

 climber; grows readily from seed, which germinates in 

 about 3 weeks in a warmhouse; plants slow-growing 

 at first. 



404. Flower of A. 

 plumosus. Typical of 

 Asparagopsis. 



405. Asparagus plumosus var. nanus. (XK) 



3. filicinus, Ham. An erect herb with densely clus- 

 tered fusiform tuberous roots 2-4 in. long: sts. erect, 

 branching: branches with twigs and cladodes in a 

 horizontal plane like A. plumosus: cladodes flat, lance- 

 olate strongly falcate, 3-5, of varying lengths, J4~%in. : 

 fls. axillary on long slender pedicels, green; stamens and 

 pistils white; perianth - lobes wide-spreading: berry 

 black, %in., 1-3-seeded. India and China. G.C. III. 



44 : 122, 123. Hardy herbaceous perennial, very orna- 

 mental, suggesting a delicate fern in appearance; sev- 

 eral wild varieties. 



4. lucidus, Lindl. Semi-woody climber, 6-10 ft., few 

 main branches: roots tuberous, 2-6 in. long: cladodes 

 3-5, flat curved linear about 1 in. long: If.-scale on main 

 st. with a short spine: fls. small, white, 1-4, in axils 

 with cladodes: berries pink or white, J^in. diam. 

 China, Japan and Formosa. A.G. 13:78. Probably 

 hardy in most of U. S. Tubers edible. 



5. crispus, Lam. (.4. decumbens, Jacq., and Hort.). 

 Roots tuberous, short, densely clustered about crown: 

 sts. herbaceous, green, weak, climbing or drooping, 3-6 

 ft., much branched: branches deflexed, and zigzag: 

 If.-scale developed below into a weak spur: cladodes 3, 

 3-angled, reflexed, about }-Jjiin. long: fls. on slender 

 drooping pedicels, axillary, solitary, or in pairs, white, 

 sweet-scented, resembling the fls. of A. asparagoides: 

 berry white or pink, J^in., several-seeded, seeds small, 

 black. S. Afr. A.F. 16:825. Easily grown from seed 

 or prop, by division; a beautiful plant for hanging- 

 baskets. This species is often sold under the name of 

 A. scandens deflexus, Baker, which has flat cladodes 

 and 1-3-seeded, red berries. 



6. plumosus, Baker. ASPARAGUS FERN. Fig. 404. 

 Woody, tall climbing vine: roots not tuberous, long, 

 slightly fleshy: st. terete, green, glabrous : branches with 

 twigs and cladodes arranged in a horizontal plane, 

 making a compound pinnate frond, triangular in out- 

 line: cladodes numerous, 8-20 in a fascicle, \faa. or 

 less long, slender, terete, bright green: If.-scale white or 

 gray, on main st. developed below into a woody deltoid 

 spine: fls. 14 at ends of twigs, white; perianth-lobes 

 spreading obovate, blooming in autumn: berry 1-3- 

 seeded, purple-black. S. Afr. F. 1882:101. F.R. 4:93. 

 F.S. 2413-14. G. 25:110. G.C. II. 13:749; III. 

 23:146. G.Z. 25:2. A.F. 11:1178. A popular deco- 

 rative plant now almost superseded by some of its 

 varieties. The cut sprays and strings of A. plu- 

 mosus and its varieties are used in large quantities by 

 florists on account of their beauty and keeping quali- 

 ties. Most of the forms are prop, by seed or division 

 but some are readily increased by means of cuttings. 

 Var. comorensis, Hort. (A. comorensis, Hort.). Similar 

 to .4. plumosus but more robust: cladodes lighter green, 

 more open and delicate in their arrangement: frond 

 widely triangular, very regular. A.F. 18:684. F.E. 14: 

 462. F.R. 9:877. G.C. III. 23:181. Gng. 10:295. I.H. 

 42:61. S.H. 1:84. V.20:101. Var. ninus, Hort. Fig. 

 405. The common commercial variety of the species: 

 cladodes more numerous and shorter than type, making 

 the horizontally spreading fronds more dense: sts. often 



short, making a short spray rather than a 

 vine: easily reproduced by seed, which 

 germinate in three weeks. Var. tenuis- 

 simus, Hort. (A. tenuis- 

 simus, Hort.). Fig. 406. A 

 wiry stemmed variety with 

 fewer cladodes longer than 

 in type and not so much 

 in a horizontal plane, dis- 

 tinctly glaucous blue-green; not a strong climber. Var. 

 robustus, Hort. A ranker-growing vine with shorter 

 cladodes than type, side branches making longer and 

 more irregular fronds than A. plumosus nanus, a 

 duller green. A. plumdsus supcrbus, Hort., .4. Bldm- 

 piedii, Hort., and A. Hatcheri, Hort. (F.E. 31:935), are 

 all botanically closely related if not identical with A. 

 plumosus robustus and with it are separated from the 

 other forms of the species by their stronger growth and 

 by the much less regular arrangement of the cladodes 

 and twigs into a horizontal plane. Var. comp&ctus, 

 Hort. A dwarf form, said to be a hybrid between A. 

 plumosus nanus and A. plumosus tenuissimus, suitable 

 for pot-plants. F.E. 16:637 See Fern, Asparagus. 



