Asphodelaceae

Taxonomy

Family name: Asphodelaceae Juss.

Synonym(s): Aloaceae Batsch; Dianellaceae Salisb.; Geitonoplesiaceae R. Dahlgren ex Conran; Hemerocallidaceae R. Br.; Johnsoniaceae Lotsy; Phormiaceae J. Agardh; Xanthorrhoeaceae Dumort., nom. cons.

Common name(s): asphodel family

*Number of genera/species: 39/900

List of genera records in GRIN-Global

Disseminule

fruit or seed

Description

Fruit a loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
or fissuricidal 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
(1–3 single-seeded mericarpsmericarp:
a one-seeded section (carpel) of a schizocarp, as in Apiaceae fruits (compare schizocarp)
) or 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.
(some Aloe, Dianella), 1–40 mm long, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to angledangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles  
, usually angledangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles  
in transection, sometimes bracts or style  (capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
) persistent. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
brown, yellow, green, gray, or sometimes blue (some Dianella), 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
, usually thick walled–woody or fleshy, sometimes membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
, smooth or variously sculptured, rarely pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
or glandularglandular:
surface relief—covered with small, raised secretory glands, regular or irregularly shaped, translucent or opaque, and maybe distinctly colored
. In Kingia and Calectasia, fruits are achenesachene:
a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point, derived from a single, superior, simple or compound, one-loculed ovary
within persistent perianthsperianth:
collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower
.

Seeds variously shaped, often angledangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles  
, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
to flattened in transection, 1–16 mm long, and often arillate. ArilsAril:
(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
develop at the funiculifuniculus:
(alt. funicle) stalk connecting the ovule (later seed) to the ovary (later fruit) placenta
and more or less cover the seeds. The degree of development and thickness of the arilaril:
(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
varies by genus. Seed coat black, brown, or gray, 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
, crustaceouscrustaceous:
texture—thin, dry, indurate, and brittle
layer of black phytomelanphytomelan:
carbonaceous, opaque material that usually covers the seed coat to give it a black appearance, common in certain monocot families
, smooth or granulargranular:
surface relief—having a grainy surface
, wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
, striatestriate:
surface relief—having fine, parallel lines, grooves or ridges
, colliculatecolliculate:
surface relief—covered with small, round projections, similar to blistered
, or glandularglandular:
surface relief—covered with small, raised secretory glands, regular or irregularly shaped, translucent or opaque, and maybe distinctly colored
. In genera formally placed in Aloaceae (Aloe, Astroloba, Chortolirion, Gasteria, Haworthia, Kniphofia, Poellnitzia), one membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
wing encompasses a flat seed. In Phormium, flattened seeds appear winged.

Embryo well developed, axileaxile:
on or of the axis
and centric or basalbasal:
at or pertaining to the point of attachment; (of embryo) embryo occupies one end of the seed
position, foliatefoliate:
appearing leaf-like
or linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
, straight or curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart
, embedded in endosperm.

Endosperm copious, cartilaginouscartilaginous:
texture—firm, dense, tough, somewhat pliable, and resilient, like cartilage
, hard, or fleshy.

Habitat and crop association

Noxious Weed: USA Federal Noxious Weed List, terrestrial, Asphodelus fistulosus L.

Federal Noxious Weed Disseminules of the US tool provides descriptions and images of these species. 

Weedy in forests, thickets, grasslands, streamsides. Spreads by asexual propagation by means of stolons and division.

Identification features

Fruit
Type	loculicidalloculicidal: type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal) or fissuricidal capsulecapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary , rarely a 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 or 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.
Size range	1–40 mm long
Shape(s)	globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , oblongoblong: 2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded , ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , trigonoustrigonous: 3D shape—having three faces that meet at distinct angles; triangular in outline , cuneiformcuneiform: wedge-shaped , fusiformfusiform: spindle-shaped; broadest at the middle and tapering at both ends , teardrop-shapedteardrop-shaped: 2D shape—widest point is toward one end of the fruit, the other end tapers sharply to a pointed end
Texture	membranaceousmembranous: texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough , woodywoody: texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood , fleshy
Surface relief	smooth or wartywarty: surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose , wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out , ribbedribbed: surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface , glandularglandular: surface relief—covered with small, raised secretory glands, regular or irregularly shaped, translucent or opaque, and maybe distinctly colored , reticulatereticulate: surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces
Color(s)	brown, blue, black, yellow, gray, green
Unique features	Usually small capsulescapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary (or 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. ) often with arillate, phytomelan-encrusted seeds.
Seed
Size range	1–16 mm long
Shape(s)	globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , reniformreniform: 2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped , triangulartriangular: 2D shape—three relatively straight sides with distinct corners; more angular than teardrop-shaped , lens-shapedlens-shaped: 2D shape—round and flattened with two curved (convex) surfaces
Surface relief	smooth, granulargranular: surface relief—having a grainy surface , wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out , striatestriate: surface relief—having fine, parallel lines, grooves or ridges , colliculatecolliculate: surface relief—covered with small, round projections, similar to blistered , glandularglandular: surface relief—covered with small, raised secretory glands, regular or irregularly shaped, translucent or opaque, and maybe distinctly colored ; crustaceouscrustaceous: texture—thin, dry, indurate, and brittle (phytomelanphytomelan: carbonaceous, opaque material that usually covers the seed coat to give it a black appearance, common in certain monocot families present)
Color(s)	black, brown, gray
Unique features	Phytomelan-encrusted seeds, often arillate, sometimes winged.
Other
Embryo	transversetransverse: lying, situated, or placed across to seed length, foliatefoliate: appearing leaf-like or linearlinear: (shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide , cotyledoncotyledon: a primary leaf of the embryo circinately coiledcoiled: (of embryo) linear embryo is very long and bent to form a coil whereby one end of the embryo is on the outside and the other end near the middle of the seed
Nutritive tissue	endosperm copious, cartilaginouscartilaginous: texture—firm, dense, tough, somewhat pliable, and resilient, like cartilage , hard or fleshy

Distribution

Temperate and tropical regions of Eurasia, Africa, Madagascar, Pacific Islands, and Australia. Also present in western South America.

Distribution map courtesy of Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.

References

Baskin and Baskin 2021Baskin and Baskin 2021:
Baskin C and Baskin J. 2021. Relationship of the lateral embryo (in grasses) to other monocot embryos: A status up-grade. Seed Science Research 31 (3): 199-210. doi:10.1017/S0960258521000209; Bingham et al. 2021+Bingham et al. 2021+:
Bingham MG, Willeman A, Wursten BT, Ballings P, and Hyde MA. 2021. Flora of Zambia. Accessed January 2021–April 2024. URL: https://www.zambiaflora.com; Carter 1994Carter 1994:
Carter S. 1994. Aloaceae. In: Polhill RM, ed. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Vol 4b. AA Balkema, Rotterdam Netherlands. 60 pp.; Dahlgren et al. 1985Dahlgren et al. 1985:
Dahlgren RMT, Clifford HT, and Yeo PF. 1985. The families of the monocotyledons: structure, evolution, and taxonomy. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 520 pp.; Flora of Australia 2021+Flora of Australia 2021+:
Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Accessed January 2021–March 2024. URL: http://www.ausflora.org.au; Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1993+Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1993+:
Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico [Online]. 22+ vols. Flora of North America Association, New York and Oxford. Accessed January-March 2024. URL: http://beta.floranorthamerica.org.; Kirkbride et al. 2006Kirkbride et al. 2006:
Kirkbride JH, Jr, Gunn CR, and Dallwitz MJ. 2006. Family guide for fruits and seeds, vers. 1.0. Accessed September 2020-January 2022. URL: https://nt.ars-grin.gov/seedsfruits/keys/frsdfam/index.cfm .; Kubitzki et al. 1990+Kubitzki et al. 1990+:
Kubitzki K et al., eds. 1990+. The families and genera of vascular plants. 7+ vols. Berlin etc.; Stevenson and Loconte 1995Stevenson and Loconte 1995:
Stevenson DW and Loconte H. 1995. A cladistic analysis of monocot families. In: Rudall PJ, Cribb PJ, Cutler DF, and Humphries CJ, eds. Monocotyledons: Systematics and Evolution. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.; Tropicos.org 2021+Tropicos.org 2021+:
Tropicos.org. 2021+. Pakistan Plant Database. Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed January 2021–April 2024. http://legacy.tropicos.org/Project/Pakistan; van Jaarsveld 2011van Jaarsveld 2011:
van Jaarsveld E. 2011. The Tree Aloes of Southern and Eastern Africa. Cactus and Succulent Journal 83 (1): 9-21. https://doi.org/10.2985/0007-9367-83.1.9; Whitehouse 2002Whitehouse 2002:
Whitehouse C. 2002. Asphodelaceae. In: Beentje HJ and Smith SAL, eds. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Vol 16b. AA Balkema, Rotterdam Netherlands. 19 pp.; Zhengyi et al. 2004+Zhengyi et al. 2004+:
Zhengyi W, Raven PH, and Deyuan H. 2004+. Flora of China [online]. 25 vols. Science Press, Beijing China & Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis USA. Accessed January–March 2024. http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

*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.