MYRSIPHYLLUM Willd.
PROTASPARAGUS Oberm.
Fayaz, F. (2011) Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants Firefly Books, New Zealand
Perennial herbs or sub-shrubs, usually with short rhizomes, erect or climbing, generally branched with green, flat cladodes in axils. Leaves appressed to stem, not green, scale-like; base spurred, often extending to spines. Inflorescence an axillary cluster, sometimes racemes or umbels, rarely solitary; bracteoles membranous. Perianth campanulate or sub-globose; segments free, occasionally connate at base. Fruit berries. Seeds 1-few. Comment: Asparagus aethiopicus L. and A. densiflorus (Kunth) Jessop are two additional species listed for Zimbabwe in SABONET Report 33 (Mapaura & Timberlake, 2004: 85-86). This is likely based on misidentified specimens at SRGH since both species are not considered to occur in Zimbabwe by Demissew in Flora Zambesiaca 13(1), 2008. Worldwide: 130-140 species, in the Old World excluding Australasia Zimbabwe: 5 cultivated taxa. |
No image of a cultivated species but there is an image of a native or naturalised species |
| Species | Content |
| asparagoides (L.) Druce | Description, Image |
| densiflorus (Kunth) Jessop | Image |
| falcatus L. | Description, Image |
| officinalis L. | |
| setaceus (Kunth) Jessop | Description, Image |