大理天门冬 da li tian men dong

Herbs, sometimes slightly subshrubby, dioecious. Stems climbing, to 1 m, slightly woody proximally, indistinctly striate-ridged; branches angled. Cladodes in fascicles of 6--9, linear, 6--13 × ca. 0.5 mm, acutely 3-angled. Leaf spur spinescent; spine 4--6 mm on main stems, very short or indistinct on branches, woody, sharp. Inflorescences developing after cladodes, axillary. Flowers of both sexes paired, subequal; pedicel ca. 2 mm, articulate at middle. Male flowers: perianth yellowish, campanulate, 3--3.5 mm; filaments adnate to perianth segments for ca. 1/2 their length; aborted ovary shortly rostrate apically. Berry red, 6--7 mm in diam., usually 1-seeded. Fl. Jun--Aug, fr. Jul--Aug.

* Grassy slopes; 1800--2000. Yunnan.