Refugium Botanicum.] 
[March, 1871. 
TAB. 261. 
Natural Order Liliaceze. 
Tribe Aspaeage^. 
Genus Asparagus, L. 
A. .ETHiopicus [Linn. Mant. p. 63), var. ternifolius (Baker). Fruti- 
cosa, volubilis, glabra, ramosissima, nodis spinis deflexis parvis 
solitariis instructis, cladodiis uncialibus complanatis anguste lineari- 
bus acutis rigide coriaceis ssepissime ternis, racemis lateralibus 
12 — 20-floris breviter pedunculatis, pedicellis infra medium articu- 
latis, perianthii segmentis oblongo-lanceolatis flore expanse reflexis, 
filamentis filiformibus perianthio subduplo brevioribus, ovarii ob- 
ovoidei loculis biovulatis. 
A native of Natal, sent to England by Mr. Thos. Cooper. 
A copiously-branched twining shrub, attaining a height of 
several feet, with slender woody angular furrowed branches, with 
a firm deflexed pungent straight spine one-eighth to one-fourth 
of an inch long from each node. Cladodia in threes, flattened, 
narrow-linear, an inch long, under a line broad, acute, narrowed 
in lower third, sessile, articulated at the base, rigidly coriaceous, 
bright green, glabrous. Floivers in shortly-stalked racemes of 
twenty to thirty flowers each, lateral from the nodes of the 
branches. Pedicels one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch long, 
jointed below the middle. Perianth white, refiexed when ex- 
panded ; the segments oblong-lanceolate, a line long. Stamens 
half as long as the segments, the anthers bright red. Ovary 
obovoid, the cells biovulate. 
This has the cladodia in threes, but in nothing else can 
I distinguish it from the Linnean plant, which is said to have 
about seven to each node. 
Tab. 261. — 1, a leaf; 2, a single flower; 3, pistil; 4, horizontal 
section of ovary : all magnified. — J. G. B. 
Mr. Thos. Cooper obtained for me in South Africa several 
species of Asparagus and Myrsiphyllum, all of which are very 
interesting, and several well worthy of being cultivated, on 
account of their elegant climbing habit. The variety of Aspa- 
ragus cBthiopicus now figured is one which will not fail to be 
admired when well grown. It requires but a cool greenhouse, 
and should be grown in a soil composed of light sandy loam and 
leaf-mould, in large well-drained pots, and should be supplied, 
while growing, with abundance of water. It should be carefully 
re*potted before making its growth, — W. W. S. 
