152 HEXANDRIA— MONOGYNIA. Asparagus. 



on the sleitij much smaller, scattered, sheathing, diminishing 

 almost to bracteas. Cluster 1^ or 2 inches long, rather close 

 and dense. Flower-stalks alternate, simple, angular, each having 

 a lanceolate hractea, about its own length, at the bottom, and a 

 smaller one more than half way up, by the situation of which 

 last Mr. Ker has clearly distinguished this from the only known 

 species besides, his iV. americanum. Curt. Mag. t. J 505, Pursh 

 227 , the Jlowers of which are paler, the wooUiness of its stamens 

 much shorter, and the anthers yellow not red. The cluster more- 

 over is generally interrupted, or divided, below the middle. The 

 Jlowers in our British species are bright yellow, spreading widely, 



. with scarlet anthers ; the back or keel of each petal green. Cap- 

 sule tawny, half covered by the converging petals. Seeds brown, 

 with a white, chaffy tunic. 



Much has formerly been written about the power of this herb to 

 soften the bones of cattle feeding upon it, and it has been sup- 

 posed to cause the rot in sheep. Linnaeus in his Fl. Lapp, com- 

 bats both these opinions. 



195. ASPARAGUS. Asparagus. 



Linn.Gcn.l68. Juss. 41. Br. Prodr. 281. H.Br. 369. Tourn. 

 i. 154. Lam. t. 240. Gccrtnt.\6. 



Nat. Ord. Sarmentacece. Linn. 11. Asparagi. Juss. 12. As- 

 phodele^B, Br. Prodr. 214. N. 196 the same. 



Cal. none. Cor. inferior, in 6 deep, equal, oblong segments, 

 cohering at their lower part, permanent. Filam. awl- 

 shaped, smooth, attached to the lower part of each seg- 

 ment, and much shorter than the corolla. Anth. oblong, 

 peltate, erect. Germ, globular. Style short, with 3 fur- 

 rows. Stigma in 3 spreading lobes, deciduous. Berry 

 subtended by the withered corolla, globular, of 3 cells, 

 1 or 2 of which are often abortive. Seeds 1 or 2 in each 

 cell, externally globose, with a horny albumen, and a 

 transverse embryo, far out of the centre. 



Herbaceous or shrubby, branched, often prickly. Leaves 

 linear, narrow, tufted, very abundant. Fl. lateral, stalked, 

 drooping, of a greenish white. Berries red or black, fre- 

 quently perfecting but one seed. 



1. A. officinalis. Common Asparagus, or Sperage. 



Stem herbaceous, round, erect, without prickles. Leaves 

 bristle-shaped, flexible. Stipulas mostly sohtary. 



A. officinalis. Linn. Sp. PI. 448. Willd. v. 2. 150. Fl. Br. 369. 

 Engl. Bot. V. 5. t. 339. Hook. Scot. 103. Fl. Dan. t. 805. Ehrh. 

 PL Off. 143. 



