BOTANY 13 



£t is also grown in pots and baskets for the Cape-house, 

 and when in flower it is greatly admired. 



A. Broussoneti. — A beautiful hardy perennial 

 climber from the Canary Islands, growing ten feet 

 high ; feathery foliage and scarlet berries. In the 

 autumn this is very ornamental. 



Among the most noteworthy of other ornamental 

 species are: A. Aethiopiais, Africa7ius, Asiatiais, Coop- 

 eri, crisptis, dedinatus, dccumbens, hicidus, 7'etrofrac- 

 tus, scaiidenSy tenuifolius, trichophyllus, unibellatuSy 

 verticillatus, virgatuSy etc., etc. 



Edibi^e; species 



Asparagus officiyialis. — While the young sprouts of 

 a few other species may be used as food, this is the 

 only one which has found a permanent place in culti- 

 vation. It IS a branching, herbaceous plant, reaching 

 a hjo-ht of from I'.rcc to seven feet ; the filiform 

 branchit.t.->, three to seven inches long, less than one- 

 quarter inch thick, are mostly clustered in the axils of 

 minute scales. The •r<>otstock, or " crown," is peren- 

 nial, and makes a n'ew growth each year of from one 

 to three inches, extending horizontally, and generally 

 in a straight line. It may propagate from both ends, 

 or from only one, but in either case the older part of 

 root stalk becomes unproductive and finally dies. 

 Fig. 7 shows the new portion of the rootstock crowned 

 with buds for the produdlion of new shoots, while the 

 older portion bears the scars and dead scales of pre- 

 vious growi;hs. From the sides and the lower part of 

 the rootstock numerous cylindrical, fleshy roots start 



