Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

Description
Habitat and
distribution
Asparagus aridicola
Description
ASPARAGUS 297
with a midvein. In contrast, A. aridicola has cladodes that
are rigid and without a mid­vein.
Climbing shrub to 4 m long or more. Branches glabrous with
smooth, terete to angled stem. Spines 1–12 mm long, recurved, seen
also on the terminal branches. Cladodes fasciculate, 3–6 together,
flattened, straight or falcate, with a distinct mid-vein, (15–)25–90
mm × 2–4 mm. Inflorescence racemose, 1.5-5 cm long, solitary
or fasciculate, 2–4 together, glabrous, unbranched; pedicels 3–3.5
mm long, articulated at the middle or above. Perianth parts broadly
elliptic or obovate, c. 3 mm long, white to cream or yellowish.
Stamens shorter than the perianth; anthers yellow. Ovary 3­locular
with 6 ovules in each locule; style short, c. 0.5 mm long including
the stigma. Berry red or white flushed purple, about 7 mm in
diameter with 1–3 seeds.
The species grows in forest edges between 1200 and
1310 m in Kefa floristic region. The species also occurs
in Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, south to South Africa, and
in Asia. The main flowering period in Ethiopia is from
September to October.
6. Asparagus aridicola Sebsebe
The specific epithet ‘aridicola’, meaning arid dwelling,
refers to the dry climate where the species grows. It is
described formally in the Flora of Tropical East Africa
in 2004. In the Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea (1997) the
species was referred to A. fal catus var. ternifolius (Baker)
Jessop.
The species is easily recognized from the related
species A. natalensis by the simple raceme inflorescesnce,
pedicels articulated above the middle, below the perianth
and outer perianth segments entire at the margin. In
contrast, in A. natalensis, the inflorescence is a modified
branchlet, pedicels articulated below the middle and
outer perianth segments ciliate at the margin.
Climbing or scandent shrub to 2.5–3 m high. Branches glabrous
to puberulous, angled when young, becoming terete with age, with
spines below the cladodes, 3–7 mm on main branches and c. 1 mm
long on terminal branches. Cladodes solitary or fasciculate, 2–6 in
a cluster, 15–25 × 1–3 mm, acute at the apex, attenuate at the base.
Inflorescences 1.5–15 cm long. Flowers in fascicles of 2–6 flowers.
Pedicel 3–14 mm long articulated above or below the mid. Perianth
white, c. 3 mm long, smooth to ciliate at the margin. Stamens
included in the perianth. Ovary 3­locular with 4–6 ovules in each
locule. Fruit red, globose 7–9 mm in diameter, with one seed.