Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

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Asparagus officinalis

Common name

Asparagus

Family

Asparagaceae

Where found

Disturbed sites and along streams. Mainly Sydney area and the ACT. Sporadic elsewhere.

Notes

Introduced perennial herb to 1.5 m tall, stems arising annually from the rootstock. Rhizomatous. True leaves scale like, subtending the 'leaves'. 'Leaves' in clusters of 3-7, 0.5-3 cm long, 0.5-1 mm wide, linear, cylindrical, hairless. Male and female flowers on different plants. Flowers yellowish to pale green or greenish white, with 6 'petals' each 4-6 mm long, partially fused at the base. Flowers single. Flowers Spring to Summer. Fruit red, round, to 10 mm in diameter. Fruits most of the year.

PlantNET description: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Asparagus~officinalis (accessed 3 January, 2021)