''Asphodelus albus'', common name white asphodel, is a

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

perennial plant In horticulture, the term perennial (''wikt:per-#Prefix, per-'' + ''wikt:-ennial#Suffix, -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annual plant, annuals and biennial plant, biennials. It has thus been d ...

belonging to the genus ''

Asphodelus ''Asphodelus'' is a genus of mainly perennial flowering plants in the asphodel family Asphodelaceae that was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The genus was formerly included in the lily family (Liliaceae). The genus is native to temper ...

''.

Description

White asphodel grows to a height of . The plain stem is supported by fleshy, thickened roots (

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and Shoot (botany), shoots from its Node (botany), nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from ...

s). The leaves, which originate from the base of the stem, are gutter-shaped and

glaucous ''Glaucous'' (, ) is used to describe the pale grey or bluish-green appearance of the surfaces of some plants, as well as in the names of birds, such as the glaucous gull (''Larus hyperboreus''), glaucous-winged gull (''Larus glaucescens''), ...

(covered by a waxy coating), about wide and long. The white hermaphroditic flowers are funnel-shaped, of diameter, with six elongated petals. The flowering period extends from April through June. The egg-shaped yellow-green seed capsules are usually in length.

Subspecies

* ''Asphodelus albus'' subsp. ''carpetanus'' Z. Díaz & Valdés * ''Asphodelus albus'' subsp. ''delphinensis'' (Gren. & Godr.) Z. Díaz & Valdés * ''Asphodelus albus'' subsp. ''occidentalis'' (Jord.) Z.Díaz & Valdés * ''Asphodelus albus'' subsp. ''villarsii'' (Verl. ex Billot) I. Richardson & Smythies

Distribution and habitat

This plant is native to the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

area. It is commonly found in

meadows A meadow ( ) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable condition ...

and

heathland A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...

of northern

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

, central

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, southwest

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, and along the southern

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

to the western

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

up to an altitude of . It is also found on the African continent, mainly in Libyan territory. Soils with a high

lime Lime most commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Bo ...

content are preferred.

In culture

White asphodel is a feature of the

Asphodel Meadows In Greek mythology, the Asphodel Meadows or Asphodel Fields () was a section of the ancient Greek underworld where the majority of ordinary souls were sent to live after death. It was one of the three main divisions of the underworld along with ...

. In

Ancient Greece Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...

, white asphodel was associated with mourning and death. Its presence was held to facilitate the transition of the dead to

Elysium Elysium (), otherwise known as the Elysian Fields (, ''Ēlýsion pedíon''), Elysian Plains or Elysian Realm, is a conception of the afterlife that developed over time and was maintained by some Greek religious and philosophical sects and cult ...

. White asphodel is also known by the name of branched lily or king's spear. White asphodel roots were used as food staple in ancient Greece: According to

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 79), known in English as Pliny the Elder ( ), was a Roman Empire, Roman author, Natural history, naturalist, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the Roman emperor, emperor Vesp ...

, one plant could produce up to 80 tubers. Charles de L´ecluse wrote that he saw 200 tubers attached to one plant.

Theophrastus Theophrastus (; ; c. 371 – c. 287 BC) was an ancient Greek Philosophy, philosopher and Natural history, naturalist. A native of Eresos in Lesbos, he was Aristotle's close colleague and successor as head of the Lyceum (classical), Lyceum, the ...

mentioned that the roasted stalk and seeds could be used as food as well. Asphodel is supposed to have extended

Epimenides Epimenides of Knossos (or Epimenides of Crete) (; ) was a semi-mythical 7th- or 6th-century BC Greek seer and philosopher-poet, from Knossos or Phaistos. Life While tending his father's sheep, Epimenides is said to have fallen asleep for fifty ...

life. The custom of planting graves in Greece with asphodel described in 1887

Macmillan's Magazine ''Macmillan's Magazine'' was a monthly British magazine published 1859 to 1907 by Alexander Macmillan. The magazine was a literary periodical that published fiction and non-fiction works primarily by British authors. Thomas Hughes convinced Mac ...

may have been to provide nourishment to the dead. It was introduced as an ornamental in England in 1551, and as of 1887 "extensively used in Algeria for the manufacture of alcohol". Asphodelus albus from Mavrovo National Park.jpg, In

Mavrovo National Park Mavrovo National Park () is the largest of the four national parks of North Macedonia, within the borders of the municipality of Mavrovo and Rostuse. Located in the west of the country, it spreads over an area of about and is characterized by ...

North Macedonia North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...

Abrótega.jpg, In the mountain range of Montemuro, northern Portugal Asphodèle blanc MHNT.BOT.2004.0.398.jpg, Capsules and seeds

References

* Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia - Edagricole – 1982 Vol. III, pag. 346
Asphodelus albus Plants profile
usda.gov
Asphodelus albus
zipcodezoo.com, 7/15/2012
Asphodelus albus
Encyclopædia Britannica

External links

Biolib
n.d. (Czech and English)

n.d., luirig.altervista.org (in Italian) {{Taxonbar, from=Q1098135 albus Flora of Europe Flora of Italy Plants described in 1768 Taxa named by Philip Miller