Asparagus asparagoides
Encyclopedia
Asparagus asparagoides, commonly known as Bridal creeper, Bridal-veil creeper, Gnarboola, Smilax or Smilax asparagus, is a herbaceous climbing plant
of the family Asparagaceae
native to tropical and southern Africa. Sometimes grown as an ornamental plant
, it has become a serious environmental weed in Australia and New Zealand.
by W. Wight in 1909, or Myrsiphyllum by Carl Ludwig von Willdenow in 1808.
s) which are flattened stems rather than true leaves. They measure up to 4 cm long by 2 cm wide. The pendent white flowers appear over winter and spring, from July to September. It is rhizomatous, and bears tubers which reach 6 cm (2.4 in) by 2 cm (1.8 in) in size.
It has become naturalised in parts of southern California.
It was introduced to Australia from South Africa around 1857, for use as a foliage plant, especially in bridal bouquets (hence the common name). It has escaped into the bush and smothers the native vegetation with the thick foliage and thick underground mat of tuber
s which restrict root growth of other species. It is recognised as one of the 20 "weeds of national significance". The seeds are readily spread in the droppings of birds, rabbits and foxes, as well as the plant extending its root system.
CSIRO have introduced several biological controls in an attempt to reduce the spread and impact of the weed.
In New Zealand A. asparagoides is listed under the National Pest Plant Accord
and is classified as an "unwanted organism".
A. asparagoides has also escaped cultivation in California
.
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
of the family Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae is the botanical name of a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots.In earlier classification systems, the species involved were often treated as belonging to the family Liliaceae...
native to tropical and southern Africa. Sometimes grown as an ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
, it has become a serious environmental weed in Australia and New Zealand.
Taxonomy
Linnaeus first described this species as Medeola asparagoides in 1753. It has been reclassified in the genus AsparagusAsparagus (genus)
Asparagus is a genus in the plant family Asparagaceae, subfamily Asparagoideae. It comprises up to 300 species. Most are evergreen long-lived perennial plants growing from the understory as lianas, bushes or climbing plants. The best-known species is the edible Asparagus officinalis, commonly...
by W. Wight in 1909, or Myrsiphyllum by Carl Ludwig von Willdenow in 1808.
Description
Asparagus asparagoides grows as a herbaceous vine with a scrambling or climbing habit which can reach 3 m (10 ft) in length. It has shiny green leaf-like structures (phyllocladePhylloclade
Phylloclades are cladodes, i.e., flattened, photosynthetic shoots, which are modified branches. Phylloclades are cladodes that greatly resemble or perform the function of leaves, as in Butcher's broom as well as Asparagus and Phyllanthus species. Phyllocladus, a genus of conifer, is named after...
s) which are flattened stems rather than true leaves. They measure up to 4 cm long by 2 cm wide. The pendent white flowers appear over winter and spring, from July to September. It is rhizomatous, and bears tubers which reach 6 cm (2.4 in) by 2 cm (1.8 in) in size.
Distribution and habitat
It ranges throughout tropical Africa, south to Namibia, and the fynbos in South Africa.It has become naturalised in parts of southern California.
Uses
Asparagus asparagoides, often under the name smilax, is commonly used in floral arrangements or home decorating.Invasive species
A. asparagoides is a major weed species in southern Australia and in New Zealand.It was introduced to Australia from South Africa around 1857, for use as a foliage plant, especially in bridal bouquets (hence the common name). It has escaped into the bush and smothers the native vegetation with the thick foliage and thick underground mat of tuber
Tuber
Tubers are various types of modified plant structures that are enlarged to store nutrients. They are used by plants to survive the winter or dry months and provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing season and they are a means of asexual reproduction...
s which restrict root growth of other species. It is recognised as one of the 20 "weeds of national significance". The seeds are readily spread in the droppings of birds, rabbits and foxes, as well as the plant extending its root system.
CSIRO have introduced several biological controls in an attempt to reduce the spread and impact of the weed.
In New Zealand A. asparagoides is listed under the National Pest Plant Accord
National Pest Plant Accord
The National Pest Plant Accord identifies pest plants that are prohibited from sale and commercial propagation and distribution across New Zealand....
and is classified as an "unwanted organism".
A. asparagoides has also escaped cultivation in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.