Ruscus hypophyllum L.
A dense, dark green, evergreen, shrubby plant, usually unbranched, up to 80 cm tall. Leaves reduced to tiny scales. Branchlets (cladodes) flattened and elliptical to lanceolate, without a spiny tip, up to 10 cm long, or more. Flowers about 1 cm across with 6 perianth segments, greenish with stamens fused into a violet tube, in clusters of up to 6 in the middle of the undersides of the cladodes. Fruit are berries 1 to 1.5 cm long, at first green then shiny red.
Local: Very common and widespread throughout the Upper Rock and south to Windmill Hill Flats.
Global: Found in southern Spain.
Flowers from (November) December, January, February, March, April to May (June).
Grows in maquis and garigue; waysides; prefers shady places.
The dried branches of this shrub and related species have been used to make brooms.