''Asparagus aethiopicus'', Sprenger's asparagus, is a plant native to the

Cape Provinces The Cape Provinces of South Africa is a biogeographical area used in the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions (WGSRPD). It is part of the WGSRPD region 27 Southern Africa. The area has the code "CPP". It includes the Sout ...

and the

Northern Provinces The Northern Provinces of South Africa is a biogeographical area used in the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions (WGSRPD). It is part of the WGSRPD region 27 Southern Africa. The area has the code "TVL". It includes the S ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. Often used as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

, it is considered an invasive

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, "a plant in the wrong place", or a plant growing where it is not wanted.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. ...

in many locations. Asparagus fern, asparagus grass and foxtail fern are common names; however, it is unrelated to true ferns. ''A. aethiopicus'' has been confused with '' A. densiflorus'', now regarded as a separate species, so that information about ''A. aethiopicus'' will often be found under the name ''A. densiflorus''.

Name and description

The species was originally described by

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

in 1767. The attribution "''Sprenger's Asparagus,''" refers to

Carl Ludwig Sprenger __NOTOC__ Carl Ludwig Sprenger was a German botanist, born on 30 November 1846 at Güstrow, Mecklenburg and died 13 December 1917 on the island of Corfu (Kérkyra). Sprenger lived in Naples from 1877 to 1907, and was a partner in the horticultur ...

who made it popular in Europe as an

. ''Asparagus aethiopicus'' is a branching perennial herb with tough green aerial stems which are sparsely covered with spines. The oval-shaped leaves are actually leaf-like cladodes, which are 0.8–2 cm long and 0.1-0.2 cm wide, and arise in groups of four or more from the stem. Occurring in spring, the small white or pinkish-white flowers are 0.3-0.5 cm long and arise in clusters off the stem. Flowers are followed in summer by small round berries 0.5 cm in diameter, which bear a black 3 mm diameter seed. Initially green, the berries mature and turn red in the winter. The root system is a mat of fibrous roots with bulbous water storage tubers, originating from a toughened "crown" at the base of the leaves, this crown including fragments left in the ground may resprout. File:Asparagus aethiopicus 5Dsr 7752.jpg, Flowers File:Asparagus aethiopicus 5Dsr 7566.jpg, Fruit

Distribution

''Asparagus aethiopicus'' is native to southern regions of

, mainly in the

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

and the

. Its natural habitat is rocky

shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...

slopes and coastal scrub, in relatively dry areas. In the United States, it has been declared a weed in Hawaii, and Florida. It has also been declared a weed in New Zealand,Asparagus densiflorus
and has become established around major urban areas in Australia including Sydney, Wollongong, the Central Coast, Southeastern Queensland, and Adelaide, as well as Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. Seeds are spread by fruit-eating birds and improper disposal of garden refuse. The

pied currawong The pied currawong (''Strepera graculina'') is a black passerine bird native to eastern Australia and Lord Howe Island. One of three currawong species in the genus ''Strepera'', it is closely related to the butcherbirds and Australian magpie of ...

is a culprit in Sydney. It can be eradicated using various herbicides depending on the situation, or manual removal of the woody crown found at the junction between the leaves and roots, the non-reproductive water storage tubers can be safely left in the ground to decompose .

Growing ''Asparagus aethiopicus''

''Asparagus aethiopicus'' is grown as an indoor plant in cooler climates, or as an ornamental garden plant in urban gardens, rockeries or in pots. Two cultivars are seen in cultivation, 'Sprengeri' is a scrambling form with sparser foliage, while 'Meyeri' has more erect stems to 70 cm (28 in) and denser foliage. Consuming the berries of ''A. aethiopicus'' can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain, and contact with the skin may cause dermatitis. The plant is toxic to domestic cats and dogs.

References

External links

University of Arizona, gardening: ''Asparagus densiflorus''

Australia Weeds: ''Asparagus densiflorus''

photo of herbarium specimen at Missouri Botanical Garden, collected in Florida in 2007
{{Taxonbar, from=Q12053056 aethiopicus Endemic flora of South Africa Plants described in 1767 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Garden plants of Southern Africa Renosterveld House plants

Name and description

Distribution

Growing ''Asparagus aethiopicus''

References

Further reading

External links