| Asparagus capensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Asparagoideae |
| Genus: | Asparagus |
| Species: | A. capensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Asparagus capensis | |
Asparagus capensis, also called katdoring (from the Afrikaans for 'cat-thorn') is a dense, thorny, shrub of the Asparagus genus, that is indigenous to South Africa and Namibia.
This species of asparagus grows as a thorny bush, to a height of 1 metre. Stems are erect, often zig-zagged, and the stems and branches end in spines.
Each branch has many whorls of spreading shoots around it, making it bottle-brush shaped, and each shoot is tightly packed with tiny leaves.
The grey-green leaves are small (3-5mm), velvety, needle-shaped and often appear in sets of five.
The spines at the branch-nodes usually appear in sets of three - a longer central spine (max.30mm) and two lateral spines.
The tiny, white, strongly scented flowers are sessile (without stalks), and they appear from autumn to spring. [1]
This species is part of a group of closely related southern African Asparagus species, that are all small, erect shrubs with grouped spines (modified branch-tips) and compound tufts of leaves. Other species in this group include the widespread Asparagus suaveolens and Asparagus burchellii , the coastal Asparagus mariae of Agulhas, Asparagus flavicaulis and Asparagus spinescens . [2]
Its natural range is stony slopes throughout the Cape, from Namibia southwards to Cape Town and eastwards to the Eastern Cape. However, it is especially common in the western winter-rainfall regions. It tends to favour sandy soils and, although it occurs inland, it is most common near the coast.
Like many other Asparagus species, the young shoots of this plant are edible, and are eaten by local people. [3]
Asparagus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Asparagoideae. It comprises up to 300 species. Most are evergreen long-lived perennial plants growing from the understory as lianas, bushes or climbing plants. The best-known species is the edible Asparagus officinalis, commonly referred to as just asparagus. Some other members of the genus, such as Asparagus densiflorus, are grown as ornamental plants.
Leucospermum is a genus of evergreen upright, sometimes creeping shrubs that is assigned to the Proteaceae, with currently forty-eight known species.
Asparagus aethiopicus, Sprenger's asparagus, is a plant native to the Cape Provinces and the Northern Provinces of South Africa. Often used as an ornamental plant, it is considered an invasive weed 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.
Tecomaria capensis, the Cape honeysuckle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Bignoniaceae, native to southern Africa. Despite its common name, it is not closely related to the true honeysuckle.
Didelta is a genus of shrubs of up to 1 or 2 meter high, with two known species in the daisy family. Like in almost all Asteraceae, the individual flowers are 5-merous, small and clustered in typical heads, and are surrounded by an involucre, consisting of in this case two whorls of bracts, which are almost free from each other. The 3–5 outer bracts are protruding and triangular in shape, the inner about twice as many are lance-shaped and ascending. In Didelta, the centre of the head is taken by 3–5 clusters of bisexual yolk yellow disc florets, sometimes divided from each other by male disc florets, and is surrounded by one complete whorl of infertile yolk yellow ray florets. The common base of the flowerhead swells around the developing fruitlets, become woody and breaks into segments when ripe. The fruitlets germinate within this woody encasing. The species of the genus Didelta can be found in Namibia and South Africa. The genus is called salad thistle in English and slaaibos in Afrikaans.
Brabejum is a genus of a single species of large evergreen tree, Brabejum stellatifolium in the family Proteaceae, commonly called wild almond, bitter almond or ghoeboontjie. It is restricted in the wild to South Africa's Western Cape province, where it grows in thickets along the banks of streams. The plant is of botanical interest as being Africa's only member of the large grevilleoid subfamily. It is a bushy small tree with branches widely at ground level and numerous erect vigorous stems. Leaves grow up to 6 in (15 cm) long, narrow and bluntly toothed, appear at intervals along the branches, mostly in whorls of 6. In summer, the plant bears white flowers densely crowded on spikes arising from rusty buds at the leaf axils. The fruits to 2 in (5 cm) long, magenta to reddish brown, similar to an almond, appear in autumn. The nut is too bitter to eat; however, in earlier times it was boiled, roasted, and ground to make a "coffee" drink.
Aloiampelos, formerly Aloe ser. Macrifoliae is a genus of succulent plants in the subfamily Asphodeloideae, comprising seven species found in Southern Africa. They are typically multi-branched climbing or sprawling shrubs, with long spindly stems and a large woody base on the ground. These characteristics, as well as their soft, narrow, triangular leaves whose lower part ensheathes the stem, make them easy to distinguish.
Asparagus lignosus ("Katdoring") is a thorny, spindly creeper of the Asparagus genus, that is indigenous to the Western Cape Province of South Africa.
Asparagus rubicundus is a fluffy, thorny shrub of the Asparagus genus, that is endemic to the Cape Provinces of South Africa.
Dalbergia armata is a scrambling, deciduous species of legume that is native to subtropical to temperate regions of southeastern Africa. The robust, woody liana or small tree is armed with strong spines on the main stem and branches. It occurs sparsely or commonly in forest, bush, riparian fringes and in wooded ravines. It is sometimes employed as a bonsai subject, and it can be propagated from either seed or cuttings.
Mitrophyllum is a genus of succulent plants of the family Aizoaceae, indigenous to the arid region around the Richtersveld, on the border of South Africa and Namibia.
Tamarix usneoides, locally known as wild tamarisk, is a twiggy shrub or small evergreen tree that grows in saline habitats, semi-deserts and karroid areas in southern Africa, ranging from Angola through Namibia to the Cape Provinces of South Africa. It has a short trunk, thin branches usually growing from ground level, tiny scale-like leaves and spikes of creamy-white flowers.
Asparagus striatus ("Bergappel") is a hard perennial shrublet of the Asparagus genus, that is indigenous to dry, rocky areas of South Africa.
Asparagus mucronatus ("Katdoring") is a thorny shrub or creeper of the Asparagus genus, that is indigenous to the southern Cape regions of South Africa.
Asparagus multiflorus is a robust shrub or climber of the Asparagus genus, that is indigenous to the southern Cape regions of South Africa.
Asparagus krebsianus is a shrub of the Asparagus genus that is native to rocky areas in southern Africa. It ranges from central Malawi through Mozambique to the Northern Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, and Cape Provinces of South Africa.
Asparagus burchellii, is a shrub of the Asparagus genus, that is indigenous to dry scrub vegetion in the southern Cape region, South Africa.
Asparagus retrofractus is a shrub of the Asparagus genus that is indigenous to the western regions of South Africa.
Asparagus suaveolens, is a shrub of the Asparagus genus, that is indigenous to rocky areas in Africa, from Kenya to South Africa.
Felicia is a genus of small shrubs, perennial or annual herbaceous plants, with 85 known species, that is assigned to the daisy family. Like in almost all Asteraceae, the individual flowers are 5-merous, small and clustered in typical heads, and which are surrounded by an involucre of, in this case between two and four whorls of, bracts. In Felicia, the centre of the head is taken by yellow, seldom whitish or blackish blue disc florets, and is almost always surrounded by one single whorl of mostly purple, sometimes blue, pink, white or yellow ligulate florets and rarely ligulate florets are absent. These florets sit on a common base and are not individually subtended by a bract. Most species occur in the Cape Floristic Region, which is most probably the area where the genus originates and had most of its development. Some species can be found in the eastern half of Africa up to Sudan and the south-western Arabian peninsula, while on the west coast species can be found from the Cape to Angola and one species having outposts on the Cameroon-Nigeria border and central Nigeria. Some species of Felicia are cultivated as ornamentals and several hybrids have been developed for that purpose.
