106 



ASPARAGUS 



ASPAKAGUS, ORNAMENTAL. LiliAceoe. The genus 

 Asparagus comprises about 150 species, which are widely 

 dispersed in warm or tropical regions, being particularly 

 abundant in S. Afr. The species are of very various 

 habit. Some are climbers, some drooping or trailing, and 

 some erect-bushy. Many of them are highly prized for 

 their very graceful and fine foliage. Some species even 

 surpass the most delicate ferns in elegance of habit and 

 delicacy of spray. The foliage is really composed of leaf- 

 like branches (cladophylla) rather than of true Ivs. (see 

 Fig. 151, and the discussion of it). Although all are per- 

 ennial, the sts. of some kinds annually die down or cast 

 their Ivs. With the exception of A. verficillatus, the fol- 

 lowing species must be grown under glass, except in 



Fla. and S. Calif. They 

 when propagated l>y 'ici-cN n 

 duced),but are iiKn iiiulti|ili 

 Roots generally tuli. ron^. 

 Linn. Soc. 14 (IST.'i) : a.-c.uiii 

 G.C. 111.23:122, 147. ITS. 



of 



Best 

 lally freely pro- 

 II :ind cuttings. 

 Haker, Journ. 

 .-ies by Watson, 



A. Foliage ovate. 

 medeololdea, Thunb. (Myrsiphyllum asparagoides, 

 Willd.). Smilax of florists. Fig. 152. Tall, slender, gla- 

 brous twiner: chifl.ij.liylla 1 in. ur Dnire long, thick, 

 glossy green on both ^ul.-, ^tii.iiL' ncrv. .1. standingedge- 

 wise to the branch : [N. sitiL'li-, Ira^'ranr. lierries dark 

 green. S.Afr. B.M. ."i.'j.sl.— .Mii.h i.'r.iwn liy florists for 

 use in decorations (see cultui-.il notr< l,rl,.w). 



AA. Foliage narroir. hi 

 Sprtngeri,R,i.-.l. Fi:.-. 



raceme 

 54,p.K,'- 

 Mn.8:l 

 tive pla 



,l,n„l plain. 



r- llcshy, white: 

 I moping: Ivs. 

 hitish, in short 

 I. Natal. Gn. 

 ::. F.E. 9: sup. 



of 



isy 



efficiently by seeds, which can be pun lia 

 temp, of 65° they germinate in 4-5 w. , k ■ 

 culture by Dammann & Co., Italy, in I.--.111 

 their collector, Herr Sprenger. There 

 variety. 

 lilcidus, Lindl. Climber : tubers IJ^in 



.small, white, axillary : berries pink or white. Kin. in 

 diam. China and Japan, where the tubers are eaten 

 (A.G. 13:78). -Needs warm treatment. 



AAA. Foliage tilif'inn <n- thn ad-lik: . 

 plam6su8, Baker. Fig. l.'.ri. ■rall-rlnnliini.', « iih -i.inv 

 terete sts. (10-15 ft.): Iiran.-h.- llatti-h an. I -i.r.a.lin- 

 horizontally in elegant sjiravs : Ivy. slicrt, hrii,'lit tT't-ii, 

 in clusters : fls. white, comnioulv solitary : berry black, 

 nearly globular, 1-seeded. S.Afr. G.C. III. 23: 146.- 

 One of the most popular of decorative plants, the cut 

 strands holding their shape and color for weeks ( see note 

 on culture below) . It is propagated by seeds, division, and 

 cuttings. Several garden forms. Var. ninua, Hort., Fig. 



ASPARAGUS 



plant or seeds being the only methods that answer for it." 

 A. F. 11:1178. Var. tenuissimus, Hort. {A. tenuissimus, 

 Hort.). Fig. 150. Only partially climbing, very light 



155 (but not dwarf, as its name implies) 

 than the type, from which it is distinguished, according to 

 Watson, " by the fulness and flatness of its fronds, and by 

 i t s refusal to multiply by means of cuttings, division of the 



green : sprays more open and delicate than 

 the- typi-, because of the fewer and longer I 

 declinatus. Hort., has drooping sprays. Var. 

 llcTt.. lias forking-tasseled sprays. 



Comor^nsis, Hort. Simil&T to A. pliimosiis : more ro- 

 bust, darker green, softer foliage: berries ' globular. 

 G.C. HI. 23:181. I. H. 42, p. 01. 



crfspus. Lam. [A. decumbens, Jacq., and Hort.). Tu- 

 bers many, oblong : climbing (2-4 ft.), the sts. fine or 

 almost hair-like and annual, the branches zigzag : Ivs. 

 numerous, usually in close pairs, very short (Min.), 

 glaucous-green : fls. white, with orange anthers : 

 berrv large lV,\r\. longl.oval, soft, brown, about 

 seided ^ Afr A defUius. Hort., is probably 

 I form of this •■pecies 



verticill4tus, Linn T.1II climbing (10-15 ft.) 

 ii ird> pi mt rootstoe k woody : sts. stout (Kin. in 

 diam ), said to bt Kliblt whtn young, but becom- 

 ing wood^ , spm^ l\s in tufts, hair-like, 2 in. 

 or less long fls small b< rries red. Persia, Si- 

 beria 

 __ retrofrictUB, Linn (4 retrofrdetus arbbreus, 



X Hort ) sts slendt r (4-8 ft ), becoming woody and 

 MJ irr i\ St ar< ^ 1\ ( limlung zigzag, spiny, the branches 

 'iff wir\ l\s in I lost ( lustirs, green, hair-like, 1-2 in. 

 long fls white small umbellate : berry small, 

 111 irlj globular, 1 s( edi d S Afr. 



virg4tUB, Baker A bushj , branchy plant 3-6 ft., 

 the bruuthes iiruhmg . Kb. in 3's, dark green, 1 

 in. or less long : fls. small, white: berries red, 1-seeded. 

 S. Afr. 



A. acutifblius, Linn. Hardy, rigid, 5 ft.: Ivs. tufted, hair-like: 

 fls. yellow: berry red. Eu.— ^...^ElAiApicits, Li 



