Ruscus hyrcanus

Species of plant

Ruscus hyrcanus

Aerial parts of the plant
Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Plantae
Clade:  | Tracheophytes
Clade:  | Angiosperms
Clade:  | Monocots
Order:  | Asparagales
Family:  | Asparagaceae
Subfamily:  | Nolinoideae
Genus:  | Ruscus
Species:  |

R. hyrcanus

Binomial name
Ruscus hyrcanus

Woronow (1907)[1][2]

Ruscus hyrcanus is a perennial evergreen woody shrub-like or small compact bush plant. It is in the asparagus family.

## Description and habitat

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The species grows to approximately 30–50 cm (12–20 in) tall and is very prickly. Stems always are green; ordinary woody, rigid, branched at the end in a whorl with spreading-procumbent branches. Cladodes have a length of 10–25 mm (0.4–1 in); they are flattened, ovate, lanceolate, leathery, rigid, and tapering to a thorn at their extremity; their both sides are shiny green. R. hyrcanus leaves are very reduced, small and bractiform.[3]

Fruit of R. hyrcanus

The flower is purplish or whitish, dioecious, marcescent with six spreading divisions, and solitary or geminate, arising in the axil of a lanceolate, firm bract on the median rib of the upper face of cladodes. Male flower has three stamens and sweating in a tube; female flower has an ovary with three biovulated lobes. The fruit is a red globular berry, about one centimeter in diameter.[3] It is native to Iran, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Crimea.[4]

## Conservation

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The species is of conservation concern in Azerbaijan, where it is listed in the Red Book of Azerbaijan.[5] It is protected on lands such as Hirkan National Park.[3]

## References

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1. ^ Ruscus hyrcanus Woronow. ipni.org
2. ^ Ruscus hyrcanus Woronow. catalogueoflife.org
3. ^ a b c Qirmizi Ki̇tabazərbaycan Respubli̇kasi (2 ed.). Baku: Azərbaycan Respubli̇kasi Ekologi̇ya Və Təbi̇i̇ Sərvətlər Nazi̇rli̇yi̇, Azərbaycan Mi̇lli̇ Elmlər Akademi̇yasi. 2013.
4. ^ "Ruscus hyrcanus Woronow | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
5. ^ "Existing Measures and Programmes for Biodiversity Conservation" (PDF). Country Study on Biodiversity and First National Report, the Republic of Azerbaijan. 2. Convention on Biological Diversity: 102. April 2004. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

Taxon identifiers

Ruscus hyrcanus|

* Wikidata: Q4197378
* Wikispecies: Ruscus hyrcanus
* CoL: 6X9F5
* EoL: 1082040
* GBIF: 2769765
* iNaturalist: 862646
* IPNI: 540454-1
* NCBI: 2974054
* Observation.org: 128741
* Open Tree of Life: 3995387
* Plant List: kew-286764
* POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:540454-1
* RHS: 234854
* Tropicos: 100252831
* WFO: wfo-0000732801