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Asparagus asparagoides

Botanic Family

Asparagaceae

Author

(Linnaeus) Druce

Cultivated

C, ornamental with cultivars

Common Names

• Smilax
• Smilax Asparagus
• Bridal Creeper
• Bridal Veil Creeper
• Florists Smilax
• Gnarboola
• Narba
• Smilax asparagoides

Geographical Habitats

• Ethiopia
• Kenya
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Namibia
• Cape Provinces
• Natal
• Orange Free State
• Northern Provinces - South Africa
• Swaziland
• Tanzania
• Uganda
• Zimbabwe

Natural Habitats

• Scrub
• forest
• forest edges

Flowering Times

• Apr (South Africa)

Fruiting Times

Twining perennial evergreen vine to 2m with wiry glabrous stems & tuberous roots. Cladodes to 40mm long, leaves to 2mm long. Axillary paired scented greenish-white flowers in umbels, white tepals with green median stripe to 7mm x 1.5mm. Red berries to 10mm diameter.

Naturalised in some places

Foliage used in floristry.

Further References

• Menninger 1970
• Bailey 1976
• Beckett 1990
• Huxley 1992
• P & R 1997
• Mobot
• FONZ
• Bodkin
• The Plant List 2
• FOTA
• NYBG
• Kew
• Jstor