Hyena thorn
Asparagus flagellaris

Family: Asparagaceae

What it is like

An erect shrub. It grows 2 m tall. It has swollen root tubers. The branches may have spines. The branches arch over. The stems are grey white and without hairs. The leaves are small and like scales. There are leafy needle like structures in clusters along the stem. These have spines that curve back and with white spurs growing beside them. The stems are densely covered with needles 2 cm long. The flowers are white and 4 mm across. They have a scent. They are in groups of 2 or more on flowering stems. The fruit are small orange berries. They are round and have 1 seed.

There are between 160-300 Asparagus species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. In Tanzania it grows in wooded grasslands at low and medium altitudes. It grows in savannah woodland, palm groves and woodland. It grows up to 2,100 m above sea level and in areas with 1,000-1,800 mm rainfall.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo DR, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somali, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The young shoots are edible. The fleshy root tubers are eaten after several hours cooking. The fruit are sucked to get the juice from the fruit.

Edible parts

Shoots, root, tuber, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds or root suckers.

The fruit are collected during the dry spells in June-July and December. The shoots are collected during the rainy season.

Its other names

Local names

Gi'e fowru, Kadaali, Kasesanhanga, Kasolanhanga, Lukungwisa, Mwinika nguu, Nkila mfwenge, Nsasa mpakasa, Nsielele nseke

Synonyms

Asparagus pauli-guilielmi Solms-Laub.; Asparagopsis flagellaris Kunth;