LILIACEjE 



247 



edible portion of the plant. The scales borne on these fleshy 

 shoots are true leaves. At lenthg, the stems become much 

 branched. The filiform cladophylls (Fig. 98) are mostly 

 clustered in the axils of the minute scales. They perform 

 the function of leaves, as is evidenced by their green color. 

 From the time of seeding, it is usually four years before the 

 rootstock is vigorous enough to allow cuttings to be made. 



Fig. 99. — Garden asparagus (Asparagus officinalis). A. young shoot 

 "spear"; B, thick, fibrous roots and young shoots arising from "crown. 



However, good crops have been produced two years after 

 seeding. The plant may be propagated by divison of the 

 rootstocks, but the common method is by seeding. 



Leaf. — The true leaves (Fig. 98) are minute scales sub- 

 tending the whorls of cladophylls. They do not perform leaf 

 functions. 



Flower. — The flowers are small, drooping, greenish-yellow 

 and usually solitary, but sometimes in twos or more at the 



