四川天门冬 si chuan tian men dong

Herbs slightly subshrubby, dioecious. Stems climbing, much branched, to 40 cm or more, slightly striate; branches spreading; branchlets occasionally cartilaginous denticulate. Cladodes in fascicles of 6--8(--16), ± appressed to branches, 5--9 × ca. 0.4 mm, subterete, slightly flattened, occasionally cartilaginous denticulate. Leaf spur spinescent; spine 2--3 mm on main stems, indistinct on branches, sharp. Inflorescences developing with cladodes. Male flowers: paired; pedicel ca. 5 mm; perianth purplish brown, campanulate; filaments adnate to perianth segments for 1/3--3/4 their length; anthers ca. 2 mm. Berry red, 9--10 mm in diam., 4- or 5-seeded. Fl. Apr--May, fr. Aug--Sep.

* Sparse forests, grassy slopes, roadsides; 1500--3300 m. Sichuan, Xizang.