Taxon: Asparagus africanus Lam.

Summary

Genus:

Asparagus

Family:

Asparagaceae

Subfamily:

Asparagoideae

Nomen number:

4490

Place of publication:

Encycl. 1:295. 1783

Protologue link:

https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/716887

Verified:

05/03/1991 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

7 (2 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Homotypic Synonym(s)
Protasparagus africanus (Lam.) Oberm.

Invalid Designation(s)
Asparagus asiaticus auct.

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Agnew, A. D. Q. 1974. Upland Kenya wild flowers: a flora of the ferns and herbaceous flowering plants of upland Kenya.
Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Arnold, T. H. & B. C. De Wet, eds. 1993. Plants of southern Africa: names and distribution. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa no. 62 Note: = Protasparagus africanus (Lam.) Oberm.
Australian Government Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Weeds in Australia (on-line resource).
Batchelor, K. L. & J. K. Scott. 2006. Review of the current taxonomic status and authorship for Asparagus weeds in Australia. Pl. Protect. Quart. 21:128-129.
Conran, J. G. & P. I. Forster. 1986. Protoasparagus africanus (Asparagaceae): a serious weed for south-eastern Queensland. Austrobaileya 2:300-304. Note: = Protasparagus africanus (Lam.) Oberm.
Dyer, R. A. et al., eds. 1963-. Flora of southern Africa. Note: = Protasparagus africanus (Lam.) Oberm.
Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage
Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage
Fellingham, A. C. & N. L. Meyer. 1995. New combinations and a complete list of Asparagus species in southern Africa (Asparagaceae). Bothalia 25:206.
George, A. S., ed. 1987. Flora of Australia. 45:153. Note: = Protasparagus africanus (Lam.) Oberm.
Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
Gibbs Russell, G. E. et al. 1985, 1987. List of species of Southern African plants, ed. 2. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa Note: v. 51. 1985; v. 56. 1987
Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Jessop, J. P. 1966. The genus Asparagus in southern Africa. Bothalia 9:48.
Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
Keighery, G. 1996. Native, naturalized and cultivated Asparagaceae in Western Australia. Pl. Protect. Quart. 11(2):49-50. Note: mentions
Kubota, S. et al. 2012. Molecular phylogeny of the genus Asparagus (Asparagaceae) explains interspecific crossability between the garden asparagus (A. officinalis) and other Asparagus species. Theor. Appl. Genet. 124:345-354. Note: this study evaluated 23 species of Asparagus; it found A. africanus in a well supported subclade with A. plumosus, and A. virgatus, all hermaphroditic species with crossing incompatibilities with A. officinalis
Kunkel, G. 1984. Plants for human consumption
Malcomber, S. T. & D. Sebsebe. 1993. The status of Protasparagus and Myrsiphyllum in the Asparagaceae. Kew Bull. 48:68.
Merxmüller, H., ed. 1966-1972. Prodromus einer flora von Sudwestafrika.
Migahid, A. M. 1988-1990. Flora of Saudi Arabia, ed. 3.
Obermeyer, A. A. 1983. Protasparagus Oberm., nom. nov.: new combinations. S. African J. Bot. 2:243. Note: = Protasparagus africanus (Lam.) Oberm.
Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
Vivian-Smith, G. E. & C. R. Gosper. 2010. Comparative seed and dispersal ecology of three exotic subtropical Asparagus species. Invasive Pl. Sci. Managm. 3:93-103. Note: this study found high dispersal capabilities in Asparagus africanus, and it mentioned some potential negative impacts of its removal on bird populations feeding on its fruits
Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	asparagus-fern	1	Batchelor, K. L. & J. K. Scott. 2006. Review of the current taxonomic status and authorship for Asparagus weeds in Australia. Pl. Protect. Quart. 21:128-129.
English	climbing asparagus	1	Vivian-Smith, G. E. & C. R. Gosper. 2010. Comparative seed and dispersal ecology of three exotic subtropical Asparagus species. Invasive Pl. Sci. Managm. 3:93-103. Note: this study found high dispersal capabilities in Asparagus africanus, and it mentioned some potential negative impacts of its removal on bird populations feeding on its fruits
Swedish	plymsparris	2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Kenya			Australian Government Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Weeds in Australia (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Tanzania			Australian Government Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Weeds in Australia (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Uganda			Australian Government Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Weeds in Australia (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Eritrea			Australian Government Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Weeds in Australia (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Ethiopia			Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Somalia			Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Sudan			Australian Government Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Weeds in Australia (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Egypt			Australian Government Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Weeds in Australia (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Malawi			Australian Government Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Weeds in Australia (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Mozambique			Australian Government Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Weeds in Australia (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Eastern Cape		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Free State		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Gauteng		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	KwaZulu-Natal		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Limpopo		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Mpumalanga		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Western Cape		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Burkina Faso			Australian Government Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Weeds in Australia (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Gambia			Australian Government Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Weeds in Australia (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Ghana			Australian Government Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Weeds in Australia (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Nigeria			Australian Government Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Weeds in Australia (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Senegal			Australian Government Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Weeds in Australia (on-line resource).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Arabian Peninsula	Saudi Arabia			Migahid, A. M. 1988-1990. Flora of Saudi Arabia, ed. 3.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Arabian Peninsula	Yemen			Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
2	Cultivated					also cult.
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia		e.	George, A. S., ed. 1987. Flora of Australia. 45:153. Note: = Protasparagus africanus (Lam.) Oberm.

Native
Africa

NORTHERN AFRICA: Egypt
NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia
EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Gambia, Nigeria, Senegal
SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Mozambique, Malawi
SOUTHERN AFRICA: South Africa [Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Western Cape]

Asia-Temperate

ARABIAN PENINSULA: Saudi Arabia, Yemen

Cultivated (also cult.)
Naturalized
Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia (e.)

Reference(s)

Australian Government Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Weeds in Australia (on-line resource).
George, A. S., ed. 1987. Flora of Australia. 45:153. Note: = Protasparagus africanus (Lam.) Oberm.
Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
Migahid, A. M. 1988-1990. Flora of Saudi Arabia, ed. 3.
Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Reference
Environmental	ornamental	Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Environmental	ornamental	Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage
Human food	vegetable	Kunkel, G. 1984. Plants for human consumption
Weed		Keighery, G. 1996. Native, naturalized and cultivated Asparagaceae in Western Australia. Pl. Protect. Quart. 11(2):49-50. Note: mentions
Weed		Conran, J. G. & P. I. Forster. 1986. Protoasparagus africanus (Asparagaceae): a serious weed for south-eastern Queensland. Austrobaileya 2:300-304. Note: = Protasparagus africanus (Lam.) Oberm.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=4490. Accessed 15 April 2026.