| Asparagus retrofractus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Asparagoideae |
| Genus: | Asparagus |
| Species: | A. retrofractus |
| Binomial name | |
| Asparagus retrofractus L. | |
Asparagus retrofractus ("Ming Asparagus fern") is a shrub of the Asparagus genus that is indigenous to the western regions of South Africa.
A large, spreading, tangled shrub. Asparagus retrofractus has long scrambling-climbing, light-grey, zig-zagged stems.
The bases of the stems are erect, thick and silver-coloured.
The tips of the stems and the outer branches are slender, silver and zig-zagged. It lacks spines on its outer (final) branches, but sometimes has some highly recurved spines on its main branches.
Older stems lose their silver, grooved outer covering, and become brown and smooth.
The leaves are linear or needle-like, 10-30mm long, arcuate and appear in gracile tufts.
The fruits are small (7mm diameter), stalked, pendulous green berries, becoming orange when ripe. The roots are fibrous. [1]
This species is indigenous to the dry, western regions of South Africa. It occurs from Namibia in the north, across the Northern Cape Province, as far south as Cape Town, Caledon, Worcester and Montagu, in the western (winter rainfall) portion of the Western Cape Province. It favours rocky, sandy habitats, and is especially common in river valleys. [2]
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.
Hoodia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, under the subfamily Asclepiadoideae, native to Southern Africa.
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.
Lycium ferocissimum, the African boxthorn or boxthorn, is a shrub in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) indigenous to South Africa.
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.
Asparagus capensis, also called katdoring is a dense, thorny, shrub of the Asparagus genus, that is indigenous to South Africa and Namibia.
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.
Pachypodium bispinosum is a succulent sub-shrub in the family Apocynaceae.
Pteronia pallens is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, indigenous to the Karoo regions of South Africa. Its natural habitat is dry, rocky slopes. It often cooccurs with its close relatives, Pteronia paniculata or Pteronia incana.
Pteronia glauca ("Geelboegoekaroo") is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, indigenous to the Karoo regions of South Africa.
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 suaveolens, is a shrub of the Asparagus genus, that is indigenous to rocky areas in Africa, from Kenya to South Africa.
Daviesia flexuosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west coast of Western Australia. It is a glabrous, spreading shrub with zig-zagged branchlets, scattered, sharply-pointed, narrowly triangular phyllodes and yellow and red flowers.
Lycium pumilum is a shrub in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) indigenous to South Africa and Namibia.
Lycium tenue is a shrub in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) indigenous to South Africa.
