Family name: Asparagaceae Juss.
Synonym(s): Agavaceae Dumort., nom. cons.; Anemarrhenaceae Conran et al.; Anthericaceae J. Agardh; Aphyllanthaceae Burnett; Aspidistraceae Hassk.; Behniaceae Conran et al.; Convallariaceae Horan.; Dracaenaceae Salisb., nom. cons.; Eriospermaceae Lem.; Eucomidaceae Salisb.; Eustrephaceae Chupov; Funkiaceae Horan., nom. illeg.; Herreriaceae Kunth; Hesperocallidaceae Traub; Hostaceae B. Mathew; Hyacinthaceae Batsch ex Borkh.; Lachenaliaceae Salisb.; Laxmanniaceae Bubani; Lomandraceae Lotsy; Nolinaceae Nakai; Ophiopogonaceae Meisn.; Ornithogalaceae Salisb.; Platymetraceae Salisb., nom. illeg.; Polygonataceae Salisb.; Ruscaceae M. Roem., nom. cons.; Sansevieriaceae Nakai; Scillaceae Vest; Themidaceae Salisb.; Xerotaceae Hassk., nom. illeg.; Yuccaceae J. Agardh;
Common name(s): asparagus family
*Number of genera/species: 114/2,900
List of genera records in GRIN-Global
fruit or seed
Fruit a berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa., loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
or septicidalsepticidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally by separating between the septa of adjacent carpels
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary, rarely schizocarpschizocarp:
usually dry fruit splitting between two or more locules to form distinct, indehiscent, usually one seeded segments; fruit derived from a single, superior or inferior, compound ovary; compare to mericarp (Ledebouria), 2–230 mm long, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical to angularangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles
, sometimes sulcatesulcate:
surface relief—having one or more elongate, relatively narrow and shallow depressions or grooves, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
or angledangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles
in transection, sometimes style or perianth persistent, with one to ten seeds. Pericarp black or brown (capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary) or red, orange, blue, purple, or black (berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.), shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles or dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen, fleshy to chartaceouschartaceous:
papery, papyraceous
, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
or pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
, smooth, ribbed, wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose, or spinyspiny:
having slender, stiff, sharp projections oriented in the general plane of the structure. Fruits in Nolina and some species of Chlorophytum are three-winged. Agave species have beakedbeak:
a usually firm, terminal appendage, sometimes tapered fruits. Eriospermum’s loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
capsulescapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary (globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical or lobed) have unique long, unicellular hairs up to 8 mm long.
Seeds globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical to angledangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles
, including discoidaldiscoid:
3D shape—resembling a disc
to irregular, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
, angledangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles
, or flattened in transection, 0.7–20 mm long. Liriope and Ophiopogon seeds have bright, blue sarcotestassarcotesta:
pulpy or fleshy outer layer of the seed coat, simulates aril. Seed coat black or brown, rarely orange, red, or white, hard and thin, shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles or dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen, smooth, wrinkled, pittedpitted:
surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net, papillatepapillate:
surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex, or reticulatereticulate:
surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces, sometimes pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
. Seeds in capsular fruits have phytomelanphytomelan:
carbonaceous, opaque material that usually covers the seed coat to give it a black appearance, common in certain monocot families except in Eriospermum.
ElaiosomesElaiosome:
a lipid and protein-rich fleshy structure attached to some seeds and fruits, it attracts ants which then disperse the disseminule (e.g., caruncle in the Euphorbiaceae, the aril (outgrowth of the funiculus) in the Fabaceae) are present in some Caesia, Hensmania, and Stawellia species; white carunclescaruncle:
a localized outgrowth of the seed coat near the hilum of the seed; it functions as an elaiosome are present in Johnsonia seeds, which are black and reniformreniform:
2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped. Seeds are helically winged in Herreria and Herreriopsis.
Embryo well developed, linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide, cylindric or broad, straight or curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart (Anthericum, Arthropodium, Chlorogalum, Dichopogon, and Thysanotus), axile and centric.
Endosperm copious, cartilaginouscartilaginous:
texture—firm, dense, tough, somewhat pliable, and resilient, like cartilage
or hard, smooth or corrugated.
Fruit | |
Type | berryberry: an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa. ![]() type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal) ![]() type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally by separating between the septa of adjacent carpels ![]() a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary ![]() usually dry fruit splitting between two or more locules to form distinct, indehiscent, usually one seeded segments; fruit derived from a single, superior or inferior, compound ovary; compare to mericarp ![]() |
Size range | 2–230 mm long |
Shape(s) | globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical ![]() 3D shape—ovate ![]() 2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded ![]() 3D shape—a cylinder, with parallel sides and a circular cross-section; tubular or rod-shaped , conicalconical: 3D shape—cone-shaped, with the point of attachment at the broad end ![]() 3D shape—having three faces that meet at distinct angles; triangular in outline , triangulartriangular: 2D shape—three relatively straight sides with distinct corners; more angular than teardrop-shaped ![]() 2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles |
Texture | epicarpepicarp: outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with exocarp ![]() soft, light, discontinuous but cohesive, and somewhat resilient , leatheryleathery: texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable , chartaceouschartaceous: papery, papyraceous ; mesocarpmesocarp: the middle layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers ![]() |
Surface relief | smooth or ribbedribbed: surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface ![]() having slender, stiff, sharp projections oriented in the general plane of the structure ![]() surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose ![]() |
Color(s) | red, orange, blue, purple, black, brown |
Unique features | Black or brown capsulescapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary ![]() 3D shape—resembling a disc ![]() 2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles seeds. Or, brightly colored to black berriesberry: an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa. ![]() approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal ![]() 2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles seeds. In Eriopspermum, capsulescapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary ![]() |
Seed | |
Size range | 0.7–20 mm long |
Shape(s) | hemisphericalhemispherical: 2D shape—shaped like half a sphere , globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical ![]() 2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded ![]() 3D shape—ovate ![]() 3D shape—elliptic , cuneiformcuneiform: wedge-shaped , discoidaldiscoid: 3D shape—resembling a disc ![]() 2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped ![]() 3D shape—cone-shaped, with the point of attachment at the broad end ![]() 2D shape—widest point is toward one end of the fruit, the other end tapers sharply to a pointed end ![]() spindle-shaped; broadest at the middle and tapering at both ends ![]() 2D shape—three relatively straight sides with distinct corners; more angular than teardrop-shaped ![]() angular |
Surface relief | wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out ![]() surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex ![]() surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net ![]() surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces ![]() |
Color(s) | black, brown, orange, red, blue, white |
Unique features | Seeds with phytomelanphytomelan: carbonaceous, opaque material that usually covers the seed coat to give it a black appearance, common in certain monocot families ![]() pulpy or fleshy outer layer of the seed coat, simulates aril ![]() (broad sense) appendicular structure that wholly or partly envelops a seed and is produced from or a modification of the funicle, raphe, or outer integument; usually fleshy or pulpy, sometimes spongy or tufted-capillate, often brightly colored ![]() |
Other | |
Embryo | well developed, axileaxile: on or of the axis and centric in position, linearlinear: (shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide ![]() 3D shape—a cylinder, with parallel sides and a circular cross-section; tubular or rod-shaped , or broad in shape, and straight or curvedcurved: (of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart ![]() |
Nutritive tissue | endosperm copious, cartilaginouscartilaginous: texture—firm, dense, tough, somewhat pliable, and resilient, like cartilage or hard, smooth or corrugated |
World-wide, except Arctic.
Distribution map courtesy of Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.
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*The number of genera and species is based on Christenhusz and Byng 2016Christenhusz and Byng 2016:
Christenhusz MJM and Byng JW. 2016. The number of known plant species in the world and its annual increase. Phytotaxa 261 (3): 201-217. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1, which may differ from the number of genera in GRIN-Global.