Interesting Facts
Common Names
Common Names in English:
Gamon, Gamona, Summer Asphodel
Description
Genus Asphodelus
Herbs, annual
or perennial
[or biennial], scapose
, from swollen rhizomes. Leaves numerous
, basal; blade
linear
, cylindrical [or flat], base
membranous, sheathing
, margins
entire. Scape hollow [or solid]. Inflorescences racemose or paniculate
, many-flowered, bracteate
; bracts persistent
, narrowly lanceolate, scarious
. Flowers: tepals 6, erect
to spreading
, distinct
or barely connate
basally, equal, each with single prominent
vein
; stamens 6, distinct, subequal
[or equal], shorter than tepals; filaments
expanded at base; anthers
dorsifixed
; ovary 3-locular, ovules 1 or 2 per locule; septal nectaries present; style 1; stigma weakly 3-lobed; pedicel articulate
. Fruits capsular
, globose
, hard, dehiscence loculicidal. Seeds 3 or 6, black, angled
[or winged
]. x
= 13, 14.
Species 12: introduced
; sw Europe, n Africa, sw Asia (India) ; widely introduced elsewhere.
Sometimes placed in the segregate
family
Asphodelaceae, Asphodelus occurs mainly throughout the Mediterranean region, the Middle
and Near East, and central Asia. Asphodelus ramosus Linnaeus has been collected once in the flora
from ballast
in New Jersey in 1879.[1]
Physical Description
Flowers: Bloom Period: January, February, March. • Flower Color: near white, white
Size/Age/Growth
Size: 4-6' tall.
Biology
Growth
Culture: Space 12-15" apart.
Soil: Minimum pH: 6.1 • Maximum pH: 6.5
Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun .
Moisture: Drought Tolerance: High
Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11. (map)
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Plantae
()
- Haeckel, 1866
- Plants
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
()
- Cavalier-Smith, 1981
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
()
- Sinnott, 1935 ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Vascular Plants
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
()
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
()
- Kenrick & Crane, 1997
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
()
- Brongniart, 1843
- Dicotyledons
- Subclass:
Liliidae
()
- Takhtajan, 1967
- Superorder:
Lilianae
()
- Takhtajan, 1967
- Order:
Asparagales
()
- Bromhead, 1838
- Suborder:
Asphodelineae
()
- Family:
Asphodelaceae
()
- A.L. de Jussieu, 1789
- Subfamily:
Rubioideae
()
- Tribe:
Asphodeleae
()
- Genus:
Asphodelus
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1753
- Asphodel [Greek asphodelos, flower of Hades and the dead]
- Specific epithet:
aestivus
- Rchb.
- Botanical name: - Asphodelus aestivus Rchb.
- Specific epithet:
aestivus
- Rchb.
- Genus:
Asphodelus
(
- Tribe:
Asphodeleae
(
- Subfamily:
Rubioideae
(
- Family:
Asphodelaceae
(
- Suborder:
Asphodelineae
(
- Order:
Asparagales
(
- Superorder:
Lilianae
(
- Subclass:
Liliidae
(
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
(
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
(
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
Notes
Publishing author : Rchb. Publication : Pl. Crit. t. 451
Similar Species
Members of the genus Asphodelus
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 5 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:
A. aestivus (Gamon) · A. albus (Asphodel) · A. capensis (Bracketplant) · A. fistulosus (Asphodel) · A. ramosus (Kings Spear)
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
- Proceedings and transactions of the British Entomological and Natural History Society. London, British Entomological and Natural History Society. url p. 53.
- Spellenberg, R., R., et al. 1986. Additions to the flora of New Mexico. Sida 11: 455-470.
Notes
Contributors
- Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 10, 2012.
Data Sources
Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 28, 2007:
- European Environment Agency, EUNIS
- GBIF-Spain, Botánica, Universidad de León: LEB-Cormo
- GBIF-Spain, Dirección General de Investigación, Desarrollo Tecnológico e Innovación de la Junta de Extremadura(DGIDTI): HSS
- GBIF-Spain, Herbario Universidad de Málaga: MGC-Cormófitos
- GBIF-Spain, Jardín Botánico de Córdoba: Herbarium COA
- Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Israel Nature and Parks Authority
- SysTax, Herbarium Universitat Ulm
- Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 5884793
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Kew-275439
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 14390555
- Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:531449-1
- International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 531449-1
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 875730
Footnotes
- Gerald B. Straley & Frederick H. Utech "Asphodelus". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 57, 218. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
