Asparagus acutifolius L.

Spice Flower In the field

Family: LILIACEAE

Genus: Asparagus

Catalan common name: Espareguera de ca. Espareguera fonollera. Espareguera rucà. Esparreguera borda. Esparreguera de garriga. Esparreguera punxosa.

Spanish common name: Esparrago amarguero. Esparraguera silvestre. Esparraguera triguera.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera. Cabrera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

Uses and properties: Edible or foodstuffs. Medicinal.

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Chameophyte. Phanerophyte.

Habitats: Oakforest. Hedges. Wild olive trees and other sclerophyllous shrublands. Juniperus phoenicea subsp. turbinata forest. Pine wood and shrubland with rosemary and thyme garigue. Rare in pine woodlands. Forets and garriques.

Characteristics: This asparagus can be distinguished from the others because of the great quantity of small, dark green cladodes that cover practically all of the plant; it often adopts the behaviour of a small climbing plant. It lives in cool, shady places, but can quite possibly coincide with other species of asparagus in the same places. It flowers at the end of summer.