Asparagus acutifolius
Encyclopedia
Asparagus acutifolius, common name Wild Asparagus, is an evergreen perennial plant belonging to the genus Asparagus
Asparagus
Asparagus officinalis is a spring vegetable, a flowering perennialplant species in the genus Asparagus. It was once classified in the lily family, like its Allium cousins, onions and garlic, but the Liliaceae have been split and the onion-like plants are now in the family Amaryllidaceae and...

 of the Liliaceae
Liliaceae
The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...

 family. The Latin name acutifolius of this species, meaning "thorny leaves", derives from the characteristics shape of the leaves, a quite common feature in the typical plants of the Mediterranean.

Description

Asparagus acutifolius reaches on average 30–70 cm (11.8–27.6 ) of height. The stems have much-branched feathery foliage. The "leaves" are in fact needle-like modified stems. The flowers are bell-shaped and in small clusters, greenish-white to yellowish, 4.5–5.5 mm (0.177165354330709–0.216535433070866 ) long. The flowers are dioecious
Dioecious
Dioecy is the property of a group of biological organisms that have males and females, but not members that have organs of both sexes at the same time. I.e., those whose individual members can usually produce only one type of gamete; each individual organism is thus distinctly female or male...

(on each plant they are only male or female). In some Mediterranean regions flowering occurs in late Summer from August through September, often after heavy storms. In this case the small green berries, of 5–6 mm (0.196850393700787–0.236220472440945 ) of diameter, are fully ripe in Winter.

Gallery


Habitat

These plants grow near woods and in uncultivated placeson, on dry and sunny soil. They can be found at an altitude of 0–1300 m (0–4,265.1 ) above sea level.
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