About Asparagus rubicundus P.J.Bergius
Asparagus rubicundus P.J.Bergius is a species of asparagus that grows as a thorny bush, reaching a height of 1.5 metres. Its stems are erect, round, smooth, and shiny, with a distinctive dark-brown colour. At each node along a stem, below the branch, there is a single recurved-spreading thorn, which grows to a maximum length of 6mm. This plant produces numerous thread-like leaves that grow in feathery tufts of approximately 10 leaves each. Individual leaves are small, between 3 and 7mm long, linear-cylindrical, slightly curved, and slightly broader toward their tips. Flowering occurs between March and June; the flowers are white, usually solitary, and have brown stamens. Its berries are either reddish or black, and each berry contains a single seed. Like the shoots of commercial asparagus, the young shoots of Asparagus rubicundus are edible. This species occurs throughout the southern and western Cape, ranging north as far as Namibia and east as far as Uitenhage. It most commonly grows in coarse sandy, clay, or granite-based soil, in fynbos, renosterveld vegetation, or coastal sand plains.
