Asparagus rubicundus

Asparagus rubicundus ("red-stemmed asparagus") is a fluffy, thorny shrub of the Asparagus genus, that is indigenous to South Africa and southern Namibia.[1][2]

Asparagus rubicundus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Asparagoideae
Genus: Asparagus
Species:
A. rubicundus
Binomial name
Asparagus rubicundus

Description
Asparagus rubicundus has tufts of tiny thread-like leaves, along its spiny brown stems

This species of Asparagus grows as a thorny bush, to a height of 1,5 metres. Stems are erect, round, shiny and have a distinctive dark-brown colour.

At each node along a stem, below the branch, there is a single, recurved (max.6mm) thorn.

The numerous, tiny (3-7mm), linear-cylindrical, thread-like leaves are in feathery tufts.[3]

The young shoots of this plant are edible, like those of commercial asparagus.[4]

This species is part of a group of closely related African Asparagus species, including Asparagus lignosus, Asparagus concinnus and Asparagus microraphis.[5]

Distribution
Asparagus rubicundus in habitat, near Greyton.

It occurs throughout the southern and western Cape, as far north as Namibia, in coarse sandy, clay or granite-based soil in fynbos vegetation and coastal sand plains.

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References
  1. http://www.greenplanet.co.za/plant.php?plant=404
  2. Asparagus rubicundus distribution - Redlist
  3. http://pza.sanbi.org/asparagus-rubicundus
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-29. Retrieved 2012-11-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. Maria F Norup, Gitte Petersen, Sandie Burrows, Yanis Bouchenak-Khelladi, Jim Leebens-Mack, J Chris Pires, H Peter Linder, Ole Seberg. (2015). Evolution of Asparagus L. (Asparagaceae): Out-of-South-Africa and multiple origins of sexual dimorphism. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 92: 25-44.

Further reading


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