Asparagus altissimus Munby
A. foeniculaceus Lowe, A. declinatus Schousb.
Eng.: Asparagus. Spa.: Esparraguera. Fre.: Asperge. Ara.: Sakkum, burjelet.
Climbing shrublet, lianescent, that supported by trees or rockery can reach up to 10 m in height. Stems woody, thin, smooth, with smooth, ± papillose, silvery, shiny bark. Leaves minute (1-6 mm), squamiform, triangular-spinescent, membranous, glabrous, brown. Cladodes fasciculate by 4-15, of varying size depending on the habitat, 3-5 mm in the Mediterranean area —type var.— and 10-25 mm in the Macaronesian and Saharan zones —var. foeniculaceus (Lowe) Maire—, subcylindrical, very slender, flexible, acute and mucronate, but not spinescent, dull green in colour. Flowers fasciculate by 1-5 at the base of the cladode fascicle, hermaphrodite, with perianth 4-5 mm long, ± campanulate. Tepals oblong-lanceolate, briefly fused at the base, white. Stamens shorter than the tepals, anthers yellow. Pedicel divided into two articles. Fruit a globose berry 6-9 mm diameter, green in colour, then red and finally blackish. Usually with a single seed inside.
Flowering:
August to October.
Fruiting:
November to January.
Habitat:
Forests, thickets and rocky outcrops from sea level to the low mountain in arid to subhumid bioclimate, inframediterranean and thermomediterranean floors.
Distribution:
Endemic to North Africa. It seems to have two disjunct population. One is located on the Mediterranean coast, on the less humid areas of the north of Morocco and NW Algeria (forests and thickets of wild olive and thuja) and the other in the Macaronesian (forests and argan pastures) and Sahelo-Atlantic regions (Acacia savannahs).
Conservation status:
A. altissimus is not considered threatened and not currently assessed at a global level in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.