Asparagus sylvicola S.M.Burrows

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Asparagaceae > Asparagus

Characteristics

Scandent to twining, evergreen shrublet up to 3 m high, glabrous throughout. Rhizome creeping; roots up to 3 mm thick, terete, with rootlets; mature plants develop spindle-like in-line tubers, 20-100 x 5-17 mm. Stems 2-4 mm thick, basally very finely papillate-ridged, dark olive green to purplish; leaf scales set on very small swellings. Spines absent throughout. Leaf scales triangular, 0.5-3.0 x 0.5-1.0 mm long, dark purple to reddish brown, pale on old stems, triangular, base with small (0.5 mm) soft protuberance, margin entire. Branches up to 400 x ±1 mm, widely placed along stem, arising at right angles to stem, slightly zigzagging, terete, ridged. Branchlets 0.5 mm thick, up to 120 mm long, terete, widely spaced along branches, arising at right angles to branch. Secondary branchlets up to 25 mm long, same thickness as cladodes, arising at right angles to branchlets. Cladodes 1-9 per fascicle, filiform. Terete, falcate, (5-)9-20(-28) mm long, 0.5 mm to hair-like in width, glossy dark green. Flowers 1 or 2(-4), borne in terminal cladode fascicle, bud dark purple, no scent detected. Pedicel 3 mm long, dark purple, articulated in top half, base surrounded by small membranous bracts. Tepals 6, 3 larger tepals 3.0-3.5 x 1.9-2.1 mm and 3 smaller tepals 2.5-3.0 x 1.0-1.5 mm, apex sometimes notched, underside streaked with purple. Stamens 6; filaments 2.75-3.25 mm long, fused at base; anthers pale lemon yellow. Style 1.8-2.5 x 0.5 mm, terete; stigma 3-fid, arms 0.7-1.0 mm long. Ovary trilocular, 0.9-1.1 x 1.5-2.0 mm. Fruit a berry, 6-10 mm diam. with persistent perianth and style, black when ripe.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 3.0
Root system creeping-root rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) 21 - 30
Germination temperacture (C°) 15 - 21
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment soaking
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Asparagus sylvicola world distribution map, present in eSwatini and South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77091742-1
WFO ID wfo-0000834957
COL ID HBM7
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Asparagus sylvicola