Asparagus oligoclonos var. purpurascens X. J. Xue & H. Yao; A. tamaboki Yatabe.

Herbs dioecious. Roots 2--3 mm thick, rather slender. Stems erect, 40--80 cm, sometimes slightly striate; branches rather rigid, striate. Cladodes in fascicles of 5--12, 1--3 cm × ca. 0.5 mm, subterete, slightly flattened, irregularly grooved. Leaf spur short or indistinct, rarely shortly spinescent. Inflorescences developing after cladodes. Flowers of both sexes solitary or paired; pedicel (1--)1.5--2 cm. Male flowers: perianth yellowish green, campanulate, 7--9 mm; filaments adnate to perianth segments for ca. 3/4 their length; anthers ca. 2 mm. Female flowers: perianth ca. 3 mm. Berry 8--10 mm in diam. Fl. Apr--May, fr. Jul--Sep. 2 n = 20.

Forests, meadows, moist places; near sea level to 500 m. Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong [Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia (Far East, Siberia)].