Ruscus hyrcanus

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

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]

Description and habitat

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

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]