Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

292 ASPARAGACEAE
9. Cladodes (25–)30–105 mm long, 2.5–5 mm wide, mid-vein distinct 5. A. falcatus
- Cladodes 10–25 mm long, 0.5–2 mm wide, mid-vein indistinct 10
10. Young branches smooth, not striated; Inflorescence simple racemes; outer
perianth segments entire, not ciliate; fruit 5–7 mm in diameter 6. A. aridicolus
- Young branches striated; inflorescence modified branchlets; outer perianth
segments ciliate; fruit 9–10 mm in diameter 7. A. natalensis
Asparagus africanus
Description
Habitat and
distribution
Fig. 125.
Asparagus
africanus from
Shewa floristic
region.
1. Asparagus africanus Lamarck
The specific epithet ‘africanus’ refers to the species
being known from the African continent. The species was
described by Lamarck in 1783 from plants collected in
the Cape Region in South Africa by Sonnerat.
This is one of the most common species and it is easily
recognised by the rounded or angled stiff cladodes, the
terminal branches commonly lacking spines and the
fasciculate flowers with whitish tepals.
Erect, scrambling or climbing or shrub up to 5 m. Branches glabrous
to puberulous, terete to angled, with spines 3–5 mm long; terminal
branches without spines. Cladodes fasciculate, 5–25, subulate,
stiff, 3–10(–15) mm long. Flowers fasciculate, 2–10, axillary and
terminal; pedicels 3–8 mm long, articulated below the middle.
Bracts lanceolate, c. 1.5 mm long, falling off quickly. Perianth white,
± equal, 4–5 mm long, entire. Stamens shorter than the perianth;
anthers yellow. Ovary 3­locular with 6–8 ovules in each locule, with
a 1 mm long 3­branched style. Berry red, 5–6 mm in diameter, oneseeded.
Seeds c. 4 mm in diameter, smooth, with reticulate surface.
The species grows in Acacia woodland, secondary forest
and forest margins (and as hedgerows) between 1450 and