Refugium Botanicum. | (April, 1868. 
TAB, al, 
Natural Order Lin1ace#. 
Tribe ASPARAGEX. 
Genus Asparagus, Linn. 
Section Asparacopsis, Kunth. Flores hermaphroditi, ovarium liberum 
triloculare, ovula in loculis 3--9, bacca globosa, abortu 1—2 sperma. 
A. SCANDENS (Thunb. Prodr. 63). Glabra, caulibus herbaceis, ramo- 
sissimis, inermibus, volubilibus, ramis angulatis, ramulis acutan- 
gulis, foliis subternis, planis, linearibus, subfalcatis, stipulis profunde 
dentatis, pedicellis solitariis pendulis supra medium articulatis, peri- 
anthio segmentis inzequalibus patentibus. — Art. Hort. Kew, edit. 2, 
vol. u. p. 273; Schult. Syst. vol. vii. p. 825. Asparagopsis scan- 
dens, Kunth, Enum. vol. v. p. 78. 
A native of the Cape of Good Hope. 
Stems several feet high, climbing, herbaceous, the main branches 
horizontal, the branchlets naked, slender, deeply channelled. 
Leaves linear, dark green, glossy, naked, firm in texture, slightly 
falcate, three or four lines long, those of the ultimate shoots 
spreading nearly in a plane, usually in threes, casually in twos 
and fours. Stipules lanceolate-acuminate, membranous, deeply 
toothed. Pedicels from the axils of the clusters of leaves, slender, 
drooping, naked, articulated above the centre, solitary or casually 
geminate, three or four lines long. Expanded flowers four lines 
across, white, except that the keel has a slight greenish tinge, 
oblong, patent, slightly toothed, the alternate ones rather smaller. 
Stamens rather shorter than the segments of the perianth, one 
from the base of each. Ovary bluntly trigonous, with shallow 
sulcations. Berry round, four lines thick.—J. G. B. 
This elegant plant, of delicate fern-like foliage, is of very rapid 
growth, and very suitable for conservatory decoration. It will 
easily climb up a small cord, and then can be moved without 
difficulty from place to place, and be shown in situations where 
it will produce the best effect. It makes fresh growth from the 
ground every year. I find a rich turfy loam suits it well. — 
ee Meas! 
