Interesting Facts
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]
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
- Genus:
Asphodelus
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1753
- Asphodel [Greek asphodelos, flower of Hades and the dead]
- Specific epithet:
fuscatus
- Jord. & Fourr.
- Botanical name: - Asphodelus fuscatus Jord. & Fourr.
- Specific epithet:
fuscatus
- Jord. & Fourr.
- Genus:
Asphodelus
(
- 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 : Jord. & Fourr. Publication : Brev. Pl. Nov. ii. 123 1868
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
- 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.
Identifiers
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 4529406
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]
