Asparagus aethiopicus |
Asparagus officinalis |
|
---|---|---|
emerald-fern, Sprenger asparagus-fern, Sprenger's asparagus fern |
asparagus, common asparagus, garden asparagus |
|
Habit | Shrubs, sprawling or scrambling; roots fibrous and tuberous. | Herbs, erect, 1–2.5 m; rhizomes fibrous. |
Stems | to 2 m, wiry, branches numerous, finely ridged; cladophylls solitary or in fascicles of 3 or more per node, linear, flattened, straight or curved, 8–22 × 2 mm, with single prominent vein. |
annual, densely branched distally; branches finely dissected, ascending to perpendicular, unarmed; cladophylls in clusters of (2–)4–15(–25) per node, filiform, straight or curved, 1–3 cm. |
Leaves | membranous, 1–2 mm; blade diamond-shaped, attached in middle, tapering to slender apex. |
scalelike, 3–4 mm; blade lanceolate, base hardened. |
Inflorescences | in axillary racemes, 5–9(–17)-flowered. |
in axillary racemes, 1–3-flowered. |
Flowers | bisexual; perianth rotate to campanulate; tepals white to pale pink, 3–4 × 1.5–2 mm; pedicel 5–8 mm, jointed 2–3 mm above base. |
some unisexual; perianth campanulate, yellow or yellowish green; tepals connate 1–2 mm, greenish white, 3–8 × 1–2 mm; pedicel 8–12 mm, jointed at or above middle. |
Berries | red, 5–8 mm. |
red, 6–10 mm. |
Seed(s) | 1. |
2–4. |
2n | = 40, 60. |
= 20, 40. |
Asparagus aethiopicus |
Asparagus officinalis |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring–summer. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Waste places, abandoned gardens | Fields, fencerows, roadsides, disturbed areas |
Elevation | 0–100 m (0–300 ft) | 0–2500 m (0–8200 ft) |
Distribution |
FL; s Africa [Introduced in North America] |
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; SPM; Europe; Asia; n Africa; naturalized in temperate regions worldwide [Introduced in North America]
|
Discussion | The name Asparagus densiflorus (Kunth) Jessop (Asparagopsis densiflora Kunth) has been misapplied to this species (P. S. Green 1986; W. S. Judd 2001). Asparagus aethiopicus cv. ‘Sprengeri’ is the most common of the asparagus-fern cultivars. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Eaten as a vegetable, Asparagus officinalis has been widely cultivated for its young shoots since ancient Greek times. The species is naturalized in many temperate climates. Mature asparagus has caused poisoning in cattle (J. M. Kingsbury 1964). Young plants can cause dermatitis, and the red berries are suspected of poisoning humans (E. M. Schmutz and L. B. Hamilton 1979). The species is dioecious (J. E. Lazarte and B. F. Palser 1979), and homomorphic sex chromosomes have been identified (H. Loptien 1979). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 214. | FNA vol. 26, p. 214. |
Parent taxa | Liliaceae > Asparagus | Liliaceae > Asparagus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | A. sprengeri | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Mant. Pl., 63. (1767) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 313. (1753) |
Web links |
|