Herbs dioecious. Roots 2--3 mm thick, rather slender. Stems climbing, 30--100 cm; branches not or only slightly striate. Cladodes in fascicles of 4--8, generally straight, 0.5--1.5(--3.5) cm × 0.4--0.7 mm, subterete, slightly flattened, grooved. Leaf spur short, not or only slightly spinescent. Inflorescences developing after cladodes. Flowers of both sexes in clusters of 2--4; pedicel 6--18 mm, usually articulate above middle. Male flowers: perianth reddish purple or greenish white, campanulate, ca. 6 mm; filaments adnate to perianth segments for ca. 1/2 their length; anthers apiculate. Female flowers: perianth ca. 3 mm. Berry red, ca. 6 mm. in diam., 5- or 6-seeded. Fl. May, fr. Jul--Sep. 2 n = 40*.

This species was misidentified in FRPS as Asparagus persicus Baker.

River banks, wastelands, saline soil; near sea level to 2900 m. Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; SW Asia].