About Asparagus suaveolens Burch.
Asparagus suaveolens Burch. is a perennial shrub that grows either upright or spreading, reaching up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) in height. Its stems are brush-like, grow in a zig-zag pattern, and end in spines. The stem surface is either smooth or faintly downy, and stems range in colour from brown to pale cream or grey. Unlike the closely related Asparagus burchellii, the branchlets and spines of this species are not prominently reflexed. Groups of 2 or 3 straight-to-curved spines radiate from each node along the stem; the lateral spines in these groups usually have tiny, reduced growth nodes, a trait that distinguishes them from the smooth spines of Asparagus capensis. Groups of 1 to 6 extremely small leaves radiate from each node on the branches, and these leaf clusters grow either spreading or ascending. Each individual leaf is cylindrical and tapers at both ends. The solitary flowers grow on stalks, unlike the sessile flowers of Asparagus capensis, and they have a very strong fragrance. The flowers have white, obovate spreading tepals, spreading filaments, and orange-yellow stamens. The fruits are small, single-seed berries that ripen to a red or black colour.
