46 THE BOOK OF ASPARAGUS 



that it rarely if ever flowers here, and can be increased 

 only by the slow process of layering, it never became 

 a very popular plant. About 1890 an attempt was made 

 by M. Lemoine to popularize it and met with some 

 success, for since then it has been more commonly 

 grown than ever previously. It likes sunlight but not 

 too much heat, and it also likes plenty of pot-room. 

 If kept in small pots, however, pretty little plants for 

 table decoration may be obtained. Grown liberally, 

 A. retrofrdctus is a tall woody species, with thin leaves 

 upwards of two inches in length, produced in tufts from 

 the branches. The crooked stems are usually covered 

 with a grey powder, which gives a characteristic 

 appearance to the plant. Another species long since 

 introduced from the Cape is A. scandens, which climbs 

 to a height of ten or more feet, the whole plant being 

 a dense mass of rich green foliage. The curved leaves 

 a little resemble those of A* Sprengeri in texture, but, 

 being arranged in one plane, give somewhat the appear- 

 ance of a coarse variety of A. plumosus. A. scandens is 

 increased by division, rarely ripening seeds in England 

 — hence its comparative rarity. This cause, however, 

 does not explain the reason that A. deflexus is not more 

 grown, for it seeds abundantly, and is also easily 

 increased by division of its underground rhizome, which 

 spreads at a great rate. It is a tall vigorous plant, 

 with wiry stems and bright green leaves. A. umbel- 

 latus from Madeira is also a beautiful climber worthy 

 of more general cultivation. 



The three species which are by far the most frequently 

 grown in our rooms and greenhouses are A. sprengeri 

 A. p/umosus, and A. te?iuissimus. It was only ten years 

 ago that Herr Sprenger, who collected for Messrs 

 Dammon & Company of Naples, introduced the first- 

 named of these species from Natal. It has become 

 thoroughly popular — and deservedly so — as a room 



