Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Asparagus medioloides (L. f.) Thunb.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: bridal creeper, bridal-veil creeper, gnarboola, smilax, smilax asparagus

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Roots with fleshy tubers.  Stem 1-5 m, twining; branchlets spreading to reflexed, leaf-like, 6-20 mm wide; young stems simple, slender.  Leaves: spurs at base 0.  Inflorescence: pedicels narrow, jointed above.  Flowers 5-7 mm, drooping, perianth spreading to reflexed, greenish white.  Fruit 6-8 mm, red or blue" (Hickman, 1993; p. 1179).

Habitat/ecology:  "Disturbed places, fields; to 200 m" (Hickman, 1993; p. 1179).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Southern Africa (Hickman, 1993; p. 1179).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 22) "Naturalised and spreading near Lagoon Rd.". Vouchers cited: G. Uhe 1340 (K), P.S. Green 1914 (K)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Martz, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (2002) (pp. 20-21) East Maui. Vouchers cited: Starr & Martz 990218-1 (BISH), Starr & Martz 990326-1 (BISH), Starr & Martz 980114-8 (BISH)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced	Waterhouse, Barbara (year unknown)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Healy, A. J./Edgar, E. (1980) (p. 51) Voucher cited: A. J. Healy (CHR 81437) Sparingly naturalized
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Newfield, M. (year unknown)

Comments:  Reported as possibly an invasive plant in Southern Australia (per Barbara Waterhouse, pers. com.) and northern New Zealand (per Melanie Newfield, pers. com.).

Control: 

Physical:  "Mechanical control is done by carefully digging out single plants and destroying them; all parts of the tuberous root system must be removed to prevent regeneration".

Chemical:  "Control by herbicides include spotspraying with glyphosate, leading to eradication if applied in several consecutive years.  Other herbicides used are paraquat or metsulfuron-methyl"  (Weber, 2003; p. 58).

Additional information:  Photos and additional information at the Environment Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, web site of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

Additional online information about Asparagus asparagoides is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Asparagus asparagoides may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Healy, A. J./Edgar, E. 1980. Flora of New Zealand, Volume III: Adventive cyperaceous, petalous & spathaceous monocotyledons. Government Printer, Wellington, New Zealand. 220 pp.

Hickman, J. C. 1993. The Jepson manual: higher plants of California. U. Cal. Press, Berkeley. 1400 pp.

Newfield, M. 0. Melanie Newfield, pers. com.

Orchard, Anthony E., ed. 1994. Flora of Australia. Vol. 49, Oceanic islands 1. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Starr, Forest/Martz, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. 2002. New plant records from the Hawaiian archipelago. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2000. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 69:16-27.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Waterhouse, Barbara. 0. Barbara Waterhouse, pers. com.

Weber, Ewald. 2003. Invasive plants of the World. CABI Publishing, CAB International, Wallingford, UK. 548 pp.