Home › A › Asparagus (From a intensive and sparasso)

Asparagus (From a intensive and sparasso)

(from a, intensive, and sparasso, to tear; in reference to the strong prickles of some species). ORD. Liliaceae. Erect or climbing herbs or shrubs, with very small scale-like leaves, and a profusion of numerous slender fascicled-needle, rather spiny branchlets. Flowers axillary, inconspicuous. Fruit baccate. The indoor species will all thrive well in a warm greenhouse temperature, provided they have partial shade, a good supply of moisture at the roots, and are not kept too close, in a moderately rich sandy compost. The hardy species are propagated chiefly by seeds and divisions of the roots. Rich sandy loam is necessary, and otherwise they may be treated as ordinary perennials. Some of the species belonging to this genus are among the most elegant of foliage plants for cutting purposes. A. decumbens and A. scandens make excellent plants for Wardian cases, and may be cut in freely if they exceed their limits.