盐源天门冬 yan yuan tian men dong

Herbs dioecious. Roots ca. 3 mm thick, slightly fleshy. Stems climbing, to more than 30 cm, slightly striate; branches angled. Cladodes in fascicles of 4--6, 4--7 × ca. 0.4 mm (immature), 3-angled. Leaf spur spinescent; spine slightly curved, ca. 5 mm on main stems, much shorter on branches. Inflorescences developing with cladodes. Male flowers: paired; pedicel ca. 2 mm, articulate at middle; perianth yellowish green, subglobose, 1--1.5 mm; stamens equal; filaments adnate to perianth segments for ca. 1/2 their length; anthers suboblong, ca. 1 mm. Fl. May.

* Forests along streams. SW Sichuan.