II 



BOTANY 



HE genus Asparagus belongs to the Lil}'' Famil3^ 

 It comprises about one hundred and fifty 

 species, and these are spread through the 

 temperate and tropical regions of the Old 

 World. One-half of these species are indigenous to 

 South Africa, and it is from this region that the 

 most ornamental of the greenhouse species have been 

 obtained. 



All the species are perennial, with generally fleshy 

 roots or tubers. The stems are annual in some, 

 perennial in others, most of them being spiny, climbing 

 shrubs, growing to a length of from five to twenty or 

 even fifty feet. The true leaves are usually changed 

 into spines, which are situated at the base of the 

 branches and are often stout and woody. The false 

 leaves, termed cladodia, are the linear or hair-like 

 organs which are popularly called leaves ; they are in 

 reality modified branches. These cladodia are nearly 

 alwaj's arranged in clusters at inter^-als along the 

 branches, and the flowers generall}^ spring from their 

 axils. They usually fall off the hardy species in 

 winter, and they are easily affedled by unfavorable 

 conditions in all the species. Most of them flower and 

 fruit freel}' under cultivation, so that seeds are avail- 

 able for propagation. 



