1	"Flowers unisexual; cladodes filiform, 3 per bract axil; ripe berry red; stems more or less erect, not climbing"	"Asparagus officinalis"
1	"Flowers bisexual; if cladodes filiform and 3 per axil then berry bluish or black; stems scrambling or climbing"	2
2	"Cladodes ovate, solitary at nodes"	"Asparagus asparagoides"
2	"Cladodes narrower than ovate, mostly 3–many per node (sometimes fewer by abortion, or solitary on short lateral shoots)"	3
3	"Sepals and pepals free to base; aerial stems perennial"	4
3	"Sepals and pepals united at base forming a short floral tube; aerial stems annual"	5
4	"Cladodes >5 per node, 4–7 mm long, more or less terete; berry black when ripe"	"Asparagus plumosus"
4	"Cladodes 3 per node, 10–25 mm long, narrow, but flattened; berry red when ripe"	"Asparagus aethiopicus"
5	"Cladodes somewhat flattened, unequal in length; berry globular, red when ripe"	"Asparagus scandens"
5	"Cladodes acicular, equal in length; berry ovoid, pale bluish grey when ripe"	"Asparagus declinatus"