Asparagaceae (Asparagus Family)

Asparagaceae is commonly known as the Asparagus Family. The Asparagaceae is a family from Asparagales Order, splits from Liliopsida Class. It is a family among about 406 families in Magnoliophyta or Flowering Plants Division. The family consists of 143 genera and more than 3,600 species.

Asparagaceae was derived from the Greek word asparagos meaning 'of obscure origin'.

Characteristics include:
  • Shrubs, with annual or perennial stems, sometimes climbers. 
  • Rhizome typically covered with persistent erect cataphylls;  roots many, fibrous or often tuberous. 
  • Leaves much reduced.
  • Peduncles or pedicels articulated. 
  • Flowers solitary, fascicled or racemose, bisexual, hypogynous. 
  • Perianth segments in 2 whorls of 3. 
  • Stamens 6. 
  • Ovary superior, 3-locular, with 2-12 axile ovules per loculus. 
  • Fruit usually a globose or ovoid.
  • Seeds spherical.

Genera in Asparagaceae:
  • Acanthocarpus
  • Corynotheca
  • Hesperoyucca
  • Prochnyanthes
  • Agave
  • Danae
  • Hessea
  • Prospero
  • Albuca
  • Dandya
  • Heteropolygonatum
  • Pseudogaltonia
  • Aloe
  • Dasylirion
  • Hodgsoniola
  • Pseudomuscari
  • Alrawia
  • Daubenya
  • Hosta
  • Pseudoprospero
  • Androstephium
  • Diamena
  • Hyacinthella
  • Puschkinia
  • Anemarrhena
  • Dichelostemma
  • Hyacinthoides
  • Reineckea
  • Anthericum
  • Dichopogon
  • Hyacinthus
  • Resnova
  • Aphyllanthes
  • Diora
  • Lachenalia
  • Rohdea
  • Arnocrinum
  • Dipcadi
  • Lapiedra
  • Romnalda
  • Arthropodium
  • Disporopsis
  • Laxmannia
  • Ruscus
  • Asparagus
  • Disporum
  • Ledebouria
  • Sansevieria
  • Aspidistra
  • Diuranthera
  • Leopoldia
  • Schizobasis
  • Astroloba
  • Dracaena
  • Leucocrinum
  • Schizocarphus
  • Barnardia
  • Drimia
  • Liriope
  • Schoenolirion
  • Beaucarnea
  • Drimiopsis
  • Lomandra
  • Scilla
  • Bellevalia
  • Drymophila
  • Maianthemum
  • Semele
  • Beschorneria
  • Echeandia
  • Manfreda
  • Sowerbaea
  • Bessera
  • Eremocrinum
  • Massonia
  • Speirantha
  • Bloomeria
  • Eriospermum
  • Merwilla
  • Spetaea
  • Bowiea
  • Eucharis
  • Milla
  • Streptopus
  • Brimeura
  • Eucomis
  • Muilla
  • Terminalis
  • Brodiaea
  • Eustrephus
  • Murchisonia
  • Theropogon
  • Calibanus
  • Fessia
  • Muscari
  • Thysanotus
  • Camassia
  • Furcraea
  • Myrsiphyllum
  • Trichopetalum
  • Campylandra
  • Fusifilum
  • Namophila
  • Tricyrtis
  • Chamaescilla
  • Gasteria
  • Neobakeria
  • Trihesperus
  • Chamaexeros
  • Hagenbachia
  • Nolina
  • Triteleia
  • Chlorogalum
  • Hastingsia
  • Ophiopogon
  • Triteleiopsis
  • Chlorophytum
  • Haworthia
  • Ornithogalum
  • Tupistra
  • Chortolirion
  • Hensmania
  • Oziroe
  • Uvularia
  • Clara
  • Herpolirion
  • Paradisea
  • Veltheimia
  • Clintonia
  • Herreria
  • Peliosanthes
  • Xerolirion
  • Comospermum
  • Herreriopsis
  • Petronymphe
  • Yucca
  • Convallaria
  • Hesperaloe
  • Polianthes
  • Zagrosia
  • Cordyline
  • Hesperocallis
  • Polygonatum


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Agave angustifolia Agave sisalana Aloe vera Cordyline fruticosa