Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Asparagus aethiopicus
Common name
Ground Asparagus, Asparagus 'Fern', Sprengeri Fern, Ground Asparagus Fern, Asparagus Vine
Family
Asparagaceae
Where found
Forest, woodland, parks, old gardens, disturbed sites, sand dunes, and along streams. Coastal. Ranges west of Sydney. Occasionally in the ranges elsewhere.
Notes
Introduced shrub or perennial herb, stems to 2 m long, usually sprawling, sometimes climbing. Rhizomatous. Spines to 10 mm long on the stems. Fruit fleshy. Stems ridged longitudinally, hairless. True leaves scale-like, 0.1-0.3 cm long, subtending the 'leaves'. 'Leaves' in clusters of 1-8, 1–2.5 cm long, 1.5–3 mm wide, flattened, hairless, with a small abrupt point. Flowers white to pinkish, with 6 'petals' each 3–5 mm long. Flowers in relatively dense elongated clusters 2–10 cm long. Flowering chiefly spring–summer; fruits all year. Fruit red when ripe, more or less round, 5-8 mm in diameter.
Was Protasparagus aethiopicus.
A Weed of National Significance. General Biosecurity Duty with additional restrictions in all NSW. Pest plant ACT. Noxious weed Vic.
PlantNET description: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Asparagus~aethiopicus (accessed 3 January, 2021)
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