''Asparagus'' is a genus of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the family

Asparagaceae Asparagaceae (), known as the asparagus family, is a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots. The family name is based on the edible garden asparagus, '' Asparagus officinalis''. This family includes both ...

, subfamily Asparagoideae. It comprises up to 300

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

. Most are

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

long-lived

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

plants growing from the understory as lianas, bushes or climbing plants. The best-known species is the edible '' Asparagus officinalis'', commonly referred to as just ''asparagus''. Some other members of the genus, such as '' Asparagus densiflorus'', are grown as ornamental plants.

Ecology

The genus includes a variety of extant forms, occurring from rainforest to semi-desert habitats; many are climbing plants. Most are dispersed by birds. Ornamental species such as '' Asparagus aethiopicus'', '' Asparagus setaceus'' (syn. '' Asparagus plumosus''), and '' Asparagus virgatus'' are finely branched and are misleadingly known as "asparagus fern". In the Macaronesian Islands, several species (such as '' Asparagus umbellatus'' and '' Asparagus scoparius'') grow in moist laurel forest habitat, and preserve the original form of a leafy vine. In the drier Mediterranean climate the asparagus genus evolved in the Tertiary into thorny, drought-adapted species. Root tubers are storage organs developed by ''Asparagus'' species and are a valuable source of moisture and nutrition for species growing under drought conditions. Approximately 27% of ''Asparagus'' species are dioecious and genomic and biogeographic analysis of the genus supports two independent clade-specific transitions from hermaphroditism to dioecy; both events occurred between three and four million years ago in Eurasia and the Mediterranean Basin. Many species, particularly from Africa, were once included in separate genera such as Protasparagus and Myrsiphyllum. However, partly in response to the implications of the discovery of new species, those genera have been reunited under ''Asparagus''. Species in this genus vary in their appearance, from unarmed herbs to wiry, woody climbers with formidable hooked spines that earn them vernacular names such as "cat thorn" and "wag 'n bietjie" (literally "wait a bit"). Most species have photosynthetic flattened stems, called phylloclades, instead of true leaves. '' Asparagus officinalis'', '' Asparagus schoberioides'', and '' Asparagus cochinchinensis'' are dioecious species, with male and female flowers on separate plants.

Selected species

, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepts 212 species of ''Asparagus'', including: *'' Asparagus acutifolius'' – wild asparagus *'' Asparagus aethiopicus'' (= ''Asparagus sprengeri'', ''Protasparagus aethiopicus'') – ground asparagus, asparagus fern, (''S. Afr''.) emerald fern, basket asparagus **''Asparagus aethiopicus'' 'Sprengeri' – Sprenger's asparagus *'' Asparagus africanus'' (= ''Protasparagus africanus'') – African asparagus *'' Asparagus asparagoides'' ( = ''Myrsiphyllum asparagoides'') – smilax, African asparagus fern, (''Austr''.) bridal creeper *'' Asparagus burchellii'' – southern Cape, South Africa *'' Asparagus cochinchinensis'' – ''Tian men dong'' (天門冬) in Chinese. The roots and stems are used in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine. *'' Asparagus declinatus'' – foxtail asparagus fern, (''Austr''.) bridal veil *'' Asparagus capensis'' *'' Asparagus curillus'' – Himalayas *'' Asparagus densiflorus'' (= ''Protasparagus densiflorus'') *'' Asparagus exuvialis'' – southern Cape, South Africa *'' Asparagus falcatus'' – large forest sicklethorn of southern Africa *'' Asparagus fallax'' – esparraguera de monteverde. Macaronesian native flora. *'' Asparagus flagellaris'' *'' Asparagus horridus'' – Mediterranean, Arabian Peninsula, Macaronesia. *'' Asparagus krebsianus'' – southern Cape, South Africa *'' Asparagus laricinus'' – katbos *'' Asparagus lignosus'' *'' Asparagus macowanii'' (= ''Protasparagus macowanii'') *'' Asparagus mariae'' – southern Cape, South Africa *'' Asparagus maritimus'' *'' Asparagus mucronatus'' – southern Cape, South Africa *'' Asparagus multiflorus'' – southern Cape, South Africa *'' Asparagus nesiotes'' – esparraguera majorera. Macaronesian native flora. *'' Asparagus officinalis'' – asparagus **''Asparagus officinalis'' subsp. ''officinalis'' – garden asparagus **''Asparagus officinalis'' subsp. ''prostratus'' *'' Asparagus ovatus'' – southern Cape, South Africa *'' Asparagus pastorianus'' – esparraguera espinablanca. Macaronesian native flora. *'' Asparagus persicus'' *'' Asparagus racemosus'' – ''Shatavari'' in Hindi. The roots are used in Ayurvedic Medicine. *'' Asparagus retrofractus'' *'' Asparagus rubicundus'' *'' Asparagus scandens'' – krulkransie of the Western Cape, South Africa *'' Asparagus schoberioides'' *'' Asparagus scoparius'' – ''esparragón raboburro''. Macaronesian native flora. *'' Asparagus setaceus'' (= ''Protasparagus setaceus'', ''A. plumosus'') – lace fern, asparagus fern, florist's fern, (''Austr''.) climbing asparagus *'' Asparagus striatus'' – bergappel of the Western Cape to Free State, South Africa *'' Asparagus suaveolens'' *'' Asparagus tenuifolius'' *'' Asparagus umbellatus'' – esparraguera común. Macaronesian native flora. *'' Asparagus vaginellatus'' Bojer ex Baker *'' Asparagus virgatus''

Pests and diseases

* Asparagus beetle (''Crioceris asparagi'') * Spotted asparagus beetle (''Crioceris duodecimpunctata'') * Asparagus miner (''Ophiomyia simplex''), a leaf-mining fly * Asparagus fern caterpillar, also known as beet armyworm (''Spodoptera exigua''). *Asparagus fly ('' Platyparaea poeciloptera''), a fruit fly *Fusarium root and crown rot, caused by two species of fungi, '' Fusarium monoliforme'' and '' Fusarium oxysporium asparagi'' *Asparagus rust, caused by the fungus '' Puccinia asparagi'' *Botrytis blight, caused by the fungus '' Botrytis cinerea'' *The larvae of some Lepidoptera species have been recorded feeding on ''Asparagus''. These include '' Coleophora lineapulvella'', ghost moth, the nutmeg, small fan-footed wave, and turnip moth

Invasive species

'' A. asparagoides'', known as bridal creeper, is a problematic weed in southern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. ''Asparagus asparagoides'', ''A. scandens'' and ''A. setaceus'' are considered potentially destructive in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, growing as the result of escaped seeds; all can still be purchased at major and local garden centers. All three have the ability to completely overtake other, unrelated plants in their immediate surroundings, often climbing up the larger ones and strangling them, eventually cutting off the plant's flow of energy and nutrients. Birds are attracted to the red berries after blooming, thus transporting their seeds. ''Asparagus asparagoides'', ''A. aethiopicus'' (under the name ''A. densiflorus'') and ''A. scandens'' are listed on the New Zealand National Pest Plant Accord since they are invasive plants. '' A. setaceus'' is officially recognized as an invasive species in

Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, ; ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative units of Brazil#List, fifth-most populous state and the List of Brazilian s ...

State,

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Gallery

Image:Asparagus acutifolius frutos.jpg, '' Asparagus acutifolius'' Image:Asparagus aethipicus Sprengeri1SHSU.jpg, '' Asparagus aethiopicus'' Image:Asparagus asparagoides leaves.jpg, '' Asparagus asparagoides'' Image:Asparagus fern.JPG, '' Asparagus densiflorus'' Image:Asparagus falcatus habit.jpg, '' Asparagus falcatus'' Image:Asparagus fallax02.jpg, '' Asparagus fallax'' Image:Asperge planten Asparagus officinalis.jpg, '' Asparagus officinalis'' Image:Asparagus setaceus Leaves 2760px.jpg, '' Asparagus setaceus'' File:Asparagus stipularis (detail).jpg, '' Asparagus stipularis'' Image:Asparagus tenuifolius1Georgi Kunev.jpg, '' Asparagus tenuifolius'' Image:Asparagus umbellatus (La Fajana) 03 ies.jpg, '' Asparagus umbellatus'' Image:Asparagus verticillatus1Georgi Kunev.jpg, '' Asparagus verticillatus''

References

Bibliography

*Fellingham, A.C. & Meyer, N.L. (1995) "New combinations and a complete list of ''Asparagus'' species in southern Africa (Asparagaceae)". ''Bothalia'' 25: 205–209.

External links

*
Sorting Asparagus names
- multilingual listing of the ''Asparagus'' species

{{Authority control Asparagaceae genera