Vegetative key to the families
Vegetative Key Vegetative key to the families
LEAVES REDUCED TO SCALES ON THE AERIAL STEMS
Chlorophyll present (some root parasites with a yellowish tinge in the cladodes)
Scale-leaves all bearing leaf-like cladodes in the axils Asparagaceae
Cladodes terete, c. 5 mm diam.
Flowers bisexual
3–6 cladodes at each node. Stems erect, not spiny. Cladodes 3–15 mm long, terete. Flowers axillary, solitary, pedicels 7–12 mm long. Berry orange. Occasionally naturalized. Introd. from S. Africa. Fl. spring–summer Asparagus virgatus
8–15 cladodes at each node. Stems scrambling, spines present on older sections. Cladodes 4–7 mm long, terete. Scales ± spine-like. Flowers single or paired. Pedicels 1–2 mm long. Berry black. A weed in bushland. Introd. from S. Africa. Climbing Asparagus Fern Asparagus plumosus