Asparagus lignosus stems zigzagging

Asparagus lignosus stems may zigzag markedly. Spines and false leaf clusters grow from the nodes of the conspicuous creamy white stems.

The thin, straight false leaves or cladodes are needle-like and leathery with pointed tips. Climatic conditions cause colour changes in them, their short-term fortune reflected in dark or bright green to yellow-green. Even when a plant is flourishing with ample foliage, the stems remain quite visible. The cladodes become from 1 cm to 2 cm long, typically seven to ten of them in one tuft (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Manning, 2007; iSpot).