Asparagaceae

Asparagus setaceus

Common Names: Common asparagus fern

Plant Form: Perennial climber. Size: Up to 5 m long. Stem: Wiry, with short-hooked spines to 5 mm long. Short, green shoots form pseudo-leaves (cladodes) replacing true leaves. Leaves: Reduced, scale-like, replaced by very narrow cladodes 4-5 mm long, hairless, in dense clusters of 8-15. Flowers: Solitary or in pairs, greenish to white, with six petal-like tepals 3-4 mm long. On stalks 1-2.5 mm long. Fruit and Seeds: Blackish, spherical berry 4-5 mm across, with single seed. Habitat: Old gardens, bushland, often coastal. Distinguishing Features: Similar to Asparagus africanus but with blackish berries and shorter cladodes. Impacts: Smothers and outcompetes native vegetation.