ASPARAGACEAE - ASPARAGUS FAMILY
Scientific Description:
Shrubby, tree-like or perennial, bulbous, cormous or rhizomatous herbs; sometimes climbers, caespitose, epiphytic or succulent. Leaves basally aggregated when stemless or along stem, simple, alternate (2-ranked or spiral), sometimes scale-like (e.g. Asparagus L., Hemiphylacus S.Watson, Ruscus L.); margins entire or toothed; venation usually parallel, rarely reticulate; sometimes sheathing; petioles absent or rarely present. Inflorescences racemes, panicles, spikes, solitary flowers or umbel-like; often scapose; often bracteate; without spathe-like bracts or with ≥3. Flowers bisexual or rarely unisexual (plants dioecious, monoecious, polygamomonoecious or polygamodioecious), actinomorphic or zygomorphic. Perianth free or fused. Stamen filaments usually free or basally fused, sometimes attached to perianth; anthers basifixed or dorsifixed, introrse; rarely staminodes (some Brodiaeoideae). Ovary superior or inferior; carpels fused, usually septal nectaries; locules 3; ovules 1-many per locule; placentation axile or apical. Fruit a capsule, berry, drupe or nut. Seeds usually black
or pale brown (e.g. some Lomandroideae, Nolinoideae).
Reference:
Byng JW (2014). Asparagaceae, In: The Flowering Plants Handbook: A practical guide to families and genera of the world. Plant Gateway Ltd., Hertford, UK., pp. 88.
Public Description:
“Asparagus family” is a large and very diverse family of flowering plants, containing thousands of species and distributed nearly worldwide.Most species are found in semi-arid to arid areas, but also found in Mediterranean climate. The members of this family are mostly bulbous, cormous or rhizomatous perennial herbs, as well as some shrubs andtree-like plants. Most species are used as food or especially as ornamental plants.The garden asparagus (Asparagus officinalisL.) has been cultivated since ancient Greek times as a vegetable.The main popular ornamental plants are the "agave (Agave L.), hyacinth (Hyacinthus L.), grape hyacinth (Muscari Mill.), ruscus (Ruscus L.), yucca (Yucca L.)”.
References:
Anonymous 1(2016).http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Asparagaceae /, Accessed date: 22.11.2016.
Anonymous 2(2016).http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/Asparagaceae.htm/ Accessed date: 22.11.2016.
