Asparagus retrofractus

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Ordo: Asparagales

Familia: Asparagaceae
Subfamilia: Asparagoideae
Genus: Asparagus
Species: Asparagus retrofractus
Name

Asparagus retrofractus L., 1753
Synonyms

Homotypic
Asparagopsis retrofracta (L.) Kunth, Enum. Pl. 5: 88 (1850).
Protasparagus retrofractus (L.) Oberm., S. African J. Bot. 2: 244 (1983).
Heterotypic
Asparagus declinatus Sieber ex Baker, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 14: 621 (1875), not validly publ.
Asparagus africanus var. microphyllus Baker in W.H.Harvey & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Cap. 6: 266 (1896).
Asparagus microphyllus (Baker) Kies, Bothalia 6: 178 (1951).

Homonyms

Asparagus retrofractus C.Sm. ex Webb & Berthel., nom. illeg. = Asparagus arborescens Willd. ex Schult. & Schult.f.
Asparagus retrofractus Forssk., sensu auct. = Asparagus africanus var. africanus

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Africa
Regional: Northern Africa
Botswana; Cape Provinces; Namibia; Northern Provinces

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References

Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species Plantarum. Tomus I: 313. Reference page.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Asparagus retrofractus in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 08-Apr-12.
http://www.plantsystematics.org/cgi-bin/dol/dol_terminal.pl?taxon_name=Asparagus_retrofractus
https://web.archive.org/web/20090226095824/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?5541
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/93320/
https://web.archive.org/web/20080511233431/http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_40af.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20080513141624/http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/interiorscape/Asparagus_retrofractus.html

Vernacular names
English: Ming Fern, Pom Pom Asparagus Fern, Zigzag Shrub
suomi: Pensasparsa

Asparagus retrofractus ("Ming Asparagus fern") is a shrub of the Asparagus genus that is indigenous to the western regions of South Africa.
Description

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]
Distribution

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]
References

Obermeyer, A.A. & Immelman, K.L, (1992). Flora of southern Africa, Volume 5, Part 3: 59, 60. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
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.