Asparagus krebsianus explained

Asparagus krebsianus is a shrub of the Asparagus genus that is native to rocky areas in southern Africa.^[1] It ranges from central Malawi through Mozambique to the Northern Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, and Cape Provinces of South Africa.

Description

It has tuberous roots, and smooth, grey-green, scrambling-twining, sometimes zig-zagged stems. Stems and branches all have slightly darker spines. The leaves are small, linear or needle-like, slightly triangular in cross-section, and appear in tufts.^[2]

Related species

It is part of a group of similar and related African Asparagus species, including Asparagus aethiopicus, Asparagus confertus and Asparagus densiflorus.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Threatened Species Programme | SANBI Red List of South African Plants. redlist.sanbi.org.
2. Obermeyer, A.A. & Immelman, K.L, (1992). Flora of southern Africa, Volume 5, Part 3: 59, 60. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
3. 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.