− | Asparagus officinalis, Linn. Asparagus. Figs. 402, 403. An erect herb from a woody crown with long fleshy roots: Bts. smooth, much branched above, 4-12 ft. high: cladodes 3-8 in a fascicle, ¼-1 in. long, terete: B. -scale with a short soft spur at base: fls. 1-4, in axils with cladodes or branches, campanulate, yellowish green: berries red, ¼-⅜ in., 1-9-seeded; seed germinate in 12-14 days in warmhouse, often taking a month when planted outdoors in spring. Eu. — The esculent asparagus of the garden, the fruiting sprays with the bright red berries used for decorating. The young seedlings developed from a large number of seed planted in a small pot or pan make a very handsome table decoration. See Asparagus, Esculent. | + | Asparagus officinalis, Linn. Asparagus. An erect herb from a woody crown with long fleshy roots: Bts. smooth, much branched above, 4-12 ft. high: cladodes 3-8 in a fascicle, ¼-1 in. long, terete: B. -scale with a short soft spur at base: fls. 1-4, in axils with cladodes or branches, campanulate, yellowish green: berries red, ¼-⅜ in., 1-9-seeded; seed germinate in 12-14 days in warmhouse, often taking a month when planted outdoors in spring. Eu. — The esculent asparagus of the garden, the fruiting sprays with the bright red berries used for decorating. The young seedlings developed from a large number of seed planted in a small pot or pan make a very handsome table decoration. See Asparagus, Esculent. |
− | Plants provided with short underground rhizomes from which the aerial sts. arise in serial order: roots often tuberous, sometimes fleshy but long-cylindric as in A. officinalis: sts. varying from low herbs to stout woody vines 50 ft. or more long: Lvs. reduced to scale- like bracts usually with a basal spur, often spiny; 11'.- function performed by special sterile twigs, cladodes (phyllodia, cladophylls, i.e., If.-like branchlets) of determinate growth and of characteristic shape with each species (see Fig. 411): fls. usually axillary, or terminal, in 1-4's, sometimes umbellate, often racemose on special branches lacking the cladodes, small; perianth 6-parted; stamens 6, free, filament attached to base of perianth lobes; ovary 3-celled, stigma 3- paited (except in Section Kodiastigma), ovules 2-6 in locule: fr. a berry 1-, 3-, 6- or more seeded; seed globose or flat on one side, testa usually black, embryo straight, surrounded by a hard endosperm.—About 150 species, all native of the Old World, ranging from Siberia to Cape of Good Hope, usually from dry regions. Monogr. by Baker, Journ. Linn. Soc. 14 (1875); account of cult, species by Watson, G.C. III. 23:122, 147, 178. | + | Plants provided with short underground rhizomes from which the aerial sts. arise in serial order: roots often tuberous, sometimes fleshy but long-cylindric as in A. officinalis: sts. varying from low herbs to stout woody vines 50 ft. or more long: Lvs. reduced to scale- like bracts usually with a basal spur, often spiny; 11'.- function performed by special sterile twigs, cladodes (phyllodia, cladophylls, i.e., If.-like branchlets) of determinate growth and of characteristic shape with each species: fls. usually axillary, or terminal, in 1-4's, sometimes umbellate, often racemose on special branches lacking the cladodes, small; perianth 6-parted; stamens 6, free, filament attached to base of perianth lobes; ovary 3-celled, stigma 3- paited (except in Section Kodiastigma), ovules 2-6 in locule: fr. a berry 1-, 3-, 6- or more seeded; seed globose or flat on one side, testa usually black, embryo straight, surrounded by a hard endosperm.—About 150 species, all native of the Old World, ranging from Siberia to Cape of Good Hope, usually from dry regions. |
− | A. acutifolius. Linn. Semi-hardy, becoming a woody shrub in the S., zigzag, branching, 5 ft.: cladodes short, stiff, terete, spiny- tipped in fascicles of 5-12, Kin. long: fls. dioecious, yellow: berry waxy olive-green.—A dark green cedar-like ornamental. Medit. region.—A. aethiopicus. Linn. Tropical vine: cladodes 3-5 ft,, linear falcate, 1-2 in. long: If.-base spiny: fls. in racemes, near A. Sprengeri. S.'Afr.—A. africanus, Lam. Woody semi-climber, spiny: cladodes filiform-terete, stiff, dark green, up to 20 in a cluster 1 in. long: fls. in umbels. S. Afr.—A. albus, Linn. (A. Pastorisnus, Webb A Berth.). A white-stemmed branching woody shrub, semi-hardy, 3- 4 ft. high: cladodes densely fascicled, 1 in. long: lf.-scale with a long sharp spine: fls. in umbels. Medit. region.—Very susceptible to attacks of red-spider. G.Z. 1907:31.—A. asiaticus, Linn. A tall branching woody vine: cladodes numerous in clusters, soft-filiform, ½ in. long: fls. in umbels. S. Afr.—A. declinatus,. Linn. Allied to A. plumosus but with cladodes about ½ in. long: branches slender, drooping: fls. axillary, small, white: berries 1-seeded. S. Afr.—A. laricinus, Burch. A woody shrub suggesting A. retrofractus but with cladodes 1 in. long. S. Afr. G.C. III. 23:122.—A. longipes, Baker. A copiously branched undershrub with subterete slender green cladodes ½-1 in. long in whorls of 9-12: fls. axillary, solitary or paired. S. Cent. Afr.—A. myriocladus, Hort. (A. Green- fieldii, Hort.). An erect, much-branched shrub, 6 ft., with tuberous roots: st. gray: branches zigzag with dense clusters of light green filiform cladodes ¾ in. long, becoming dark green with age.—Very ornamental: fls. unknown, but it is closely related in type to A. retrofractus. Natal. G. 25:293; 33:435. Gng. 12:547. F.E. 16:637. The true A. myriocladus. Baker, is related to A. Sprengeri and has flat cladodes and racemose fls. This species is apparently not in cultivation.—A. oligoclonus, Maxim. Erect, hardy herbaceous perennial suggesting A. officinalis: cladodes more dense, slender and graceful: 1-2 ft.: fls. dioecious, campanulate. N. Asia.—A. schoberioides, Kunth. Erect, hardy herbaceous perennial, 1-3 ft.: roots tuberous: cladodes long, 3-angled, flat, ascending: fls. nearly sessile, dioecious: berries red. Japan and China.—A. Sieberianus, Hort. A supposed hybrid between A. crispus and A. plumosus tenuissimus: sts. slender, rigid, with slightly curved cladodes. Distinct and valuable as a market plant.—A. tenuifolius. Lam. Herbaceous perennial: like A. officinnalis, with very slender, numerous cladodes and large bright red berries. S. Eu.—A. trichophyllus, Bunge. Hardy herbaceous perennial, somewhat twining, 3-6 ft.: cladodes like A. officinalis, ¼-1 in. long: fls. dioecious (long-campanulate) on drooping pedicels. N. Asia. | + | A. acutifolius. Linn. Semi-hardy, becoming a woody shrub in the S., zigzag, branching, 5 ft.: cladodes short, stiff, terete, spiny- tipped in fascicles of 5-12, Kin. long: fls. dioecious, yellow: berry waxy olive-green.—A dark green cedar-like ornamental. Medit. region.—A. aethiopicus. Linn. Tropical vine: cladodes 3-5 ft,, linear falcate, 1-2 in. long: If.-base spiny: fls. in racemes, near A. Sprengeri. S.'Afr.—A. africanus, Lam. Woody semi-climber, spiny: cladodes filiform-terete, stiff, dark green, up to 20 in a cluster 1 in. long: fls. in umbels. S. Afr.—A. albus, Linn. (A. Pastorisnus, Webb A Berth.). A white-stemmed branching woody shrub, semi-hardy, 3- 4 ft. high: cladodes densely fascicled, 1 in. long: lf.-scale with a long sharp spine: fls. in umbels. Medit. region.—Very susceptible to attacks of red-spider. G.Z. 1907:31.—A. asiaticus, Linn. A tall branching woody vine: cladodes numerous in clusters, soft-filiform, ½ in. long: fls. in umbels. S. Afr.—A. declinatus,. Linn. Allied to A. plumosus but with cladodes about ½ in. long: branches slender, drooping: fls. axillary, small, white: berries 1-seeded. S. Afr.—A. laricinus, Burch. A woody shrub suggesting A. retrofractus but with cladodes 1 in. long. S. Afr. G.C. III. 23:122.—A. longipes, Baker. A copiously branched undershrub with subterete slender green cladodes ½-1 in. long in whorls of 9-12: fls. axillary, solitary or paired. S. Cent. Afr.—A. myriocladus, Hort. (A. Green- fieldii, Hort.). An erect, much-branched shrub, 6 ft., with tuberous roots: st. gray: branches zigzag with dense clusters of light green filiform cladodes ¾ in. long, becoming dark green with age.—Very ornamental: fls. unknown, but it is closely related in type to A. retrofractus. Natal. The true A. myriocladus. Baker, is related to A. Sprengeri and has flat cladodes and racemose fls. This species is apparently not in cultivation.—A. oligoclonus, Maxim. Erect, hardy herbaceous perennial suggesting A. officinalis: cladodes more dense, slender and graceful: 1-2 ft.: fls. dioecious, campanulate. N. Asia.—A. schoberioides, Kunth. Erect, hardy herbaceous perennial, 1-3 ft.: roots tuberous: cladodes long, 3-angled, flat, ascending: fls. nearly sessile, dioecious: berries red. Japan and China.—A. Sieberianus, Hort. A supposed hybrid between A. crispus and A. plumosus tenuissimus: sts. slender, rigid, with slightly curved cladodes. Distinct and valuable as a market plant.—A. tenuifolius. Lam. Herbaceous perennial: like A. officinnalis, with very slender, numerous cladodes and large bright red berries. S. Eu.—A. trichophyllus, Bunge. Hardy herbaceous perennial, somewhat twining, 3-6 ft.: cladodes like A. officinalis, ¼-1 in. long: fls. dioecious (long-campanulate) on drooping pedicels. N. Asia. |