Asparagus (genus)

The genus includes a variety of extant forms, occurring from rainforest to semi-desert habitats; many are climbing plants. Most are dispersed by birds.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}}

Ornamental species such as Asparagus aethiopicus, Asparagus setaceus (syn. Asparagus plumosus), and Asparagus virgatus are finely branched and are misleadingly known as "asparagus fern".

In the Macaronesian Islands, several species (such as Asparagus umbellatus and Asparagus scoparius) grow in moist laurel forest habitat, and preserve the original form{{citation needed|date=December 2012}} of a leafy vine. In the drier Mediterranean climate the asparagus genus evolved in the Tertiary into thorny, drought-adapted species.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}} Root tubers are storage organs developed by Asparagus species and are a valuable source of moisture and nutrition for species growing under drought conditions.{{cite web | url=http://www.ecoman.co.za/green/green_docs/asparagus_densiflorus.html | title=Asparagus densiflorus plant suitable for green roof}}

Approximately 27% of Asparagus species are dioecious and genomic and biogeographic analysis of the genus supports two independent clade-specific transitions from hermaphroditism to dioecy; both events occurred between three and four million years ago in Eurasia and the Mediterranean Basin.{{Cite journal |last=Bentz |first=Philip C |last2=Burrows |first2=John E |last3=Burrows |first3=Sandra M |last4=Mizrachi |first4=Eshchar |last5=Liu |first5=Zhengjie |last6=Yang |first6=Junbo |last7=Mao |first7=Zichao |last8=Popecki |first8=Margot |last9=Seberg |first9=Ole |last10=Petersen |first10=Gitte |last11=Leebens-Mack |first11=Jim |date=2024-09-18 |title=Bursts of Rapid Diversification, Dispersals Out of Southern Africa, and Two Origins of Dioecy Punctuate the Evolution of Asparagus |url=https://academic.oup.com/gbe/article/16/10/evae200/7760345 |journal=Genome Biology and Evolution |volume=16 |issue=10 |doi=10.1093/gbe/evae200 |issn=1759-6653|pmc=11487909 }}

Many species, particularly from Africa, were once included in separate genera such as Protasparagus and Myrsiphyllum. However, partly in response to the implications of the discovery of new species, those genera have been reunited under Asparagus.{{Cite journal | doi=10.2307/4115749| jstor=4115749|title = The Status of Protasparagus and Myrsiphyllum in the Asparagaceae| journal=Kew Bulletin| volume=48| issue=1| pages=63–78|last1 = Malcomber|first1 = S. T.| last2=Demissew| first2=Sebsebe| year=1993}} Species in this genus vary in their appearance, from unarmed herbs to wiry, woody climbers with formidable hooked spines that earn them vernacular names such as "cat thorn" and "wag 'n bietjie" (literally "wait a bit").Marloth, Rudolf. “The Flora of South Africa” 1932 Pub. Cape Town: Darter Bros. London: Wheldon & Wesley. Most species have photosynthetic flattened stems, called phylloclades, instead of true leaves. Asparagus officinalis, Asparagus schoberioides, and Asparagus cochinchinensis are dioecious species, with male and female flowers on separate plants.

{{main|List of Asparagus species|l1=List of Asparagus species}}

{{As of|2014|September}}, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepts 212 species of Asparagus, including:{{Citation |title=Asparagus|work=World Checklist of Selected Plant Families |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |url=http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/qsearch.do?plantName=Asparagus |accessdate=2014-09-01 }}

{{Div col}}

• Asparagus acutifolius – wild asparagus
• Asparagus aethiopicus (= Asparagus sprengeri, Protasparagus aethiopicus) – ground asparagus, asparagus fern, (S. Afr.) emerald fern, basket asparagus
• Asparagus aethiopicus 'Sprengeri' – Sprenger's asparagus
• Asparagus africanus (= Protasparagus africanus) – African asparagus
• Asparagus asparagoides ( = Myrsiphyllum asparagoides) – smilax, African asparagus fern, (Austr.) bridal creeper
• Asparagus burchellii – southern Cape, South Africa
• Asparagus cochinchinensis – Tian men dong (天門冬) in Chinese. The roots and stems are used in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine.{{cite journal|vauthors=Lee DY, Choo BK, Yoon T, Cheon MS, Lee HW, Lee AY, Kim HK |title=Anti-inflammatory effects of Asparagus cochinchinensis extract in acute and chronic cutaneous inflammation |journal=Journal of Ethnopharmacology |date=12 January 2009 |volume=121 |issue=1|pages=28–24 |doi=10.1016/j.jep.2008.07.006 |pmid=18691647 }}
• Asparagus declinatus – foxtail asparagus fern, (Austr.) bridal veil[https://archive.today/20140901042045/http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/biosecuritysa/nrm_biosecurity/weeds/declared_plants_in_south_australia Biosecurity SA : Declared plants in South Australia 2014] Accessed 1 September 2014.
• Asparagus capensis
• Asparagus curillus – Himalayas
• Asparagus densiflorus (= Protasparagus densiflorus)
• Asparagus exuvialis – southern Cape, South Africa
• Asparagus falcatus – large forest sicklethorn of southern Africa
• Asparagus fallax – esparraguera de monteverde. Macaronesian native flora.
• Asparagus flagellaris
• Asparagus horridus – Mediterranean, Arabian Peninsula, Macaronesia.{{Cite web|url=https://powo.science.kew.org/?name_id=275099|title=Plants of the World Online | Kew Science|website=Plants of the World Online|accessdate=11 April 2023}}
• Asparagus krebsianus – southern Cape, South Africa
• Asparagus laricinus – katbos
• Asparagus lignosus
• Asparagus macowanii (= Protasparagus macowanii)
• Asparagus mariae – southern Cape, South Africa
• Asparagus maritimus
• Asparagus mucronatus – southern Cape, South Africa
• Asparagus multiflorus – southern Cape, South Africa
• Asparagus nesiotes – esparraguera majorera. Macaronesian native flora.
• Asparagus officinalis – asparagus
• Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – garden asparagus
• Asparagus officinalis subsp. prostratus
• Asparagus ovatus – southern Cape, South Africa
• Asparagus pastorianus – esparraguera espinablanca. Macaronesian native flora.
• Asparagus persicus
• Asparagus racemosus – Shatavari in Hindi. The roots are used in Ayurvedic Medicine.
• Asparagus retrofractus
• Asparagus rubicundus
• Asparagus scandens – krulkransie of the Western Cape, South Africa
• Asparagus schoberioides
• Asparagus scoparius – esparragón raboburro. Macaronesian native flora.
• Asparagus setaceus (= Protasparagus setaceus, A. plumosus) – lace fern, asparagus fern, florist's fern, (Austr.) climbing asparagus
• Asparagus striatus – bergappel of the Western Cape to Free State, South Africa
• Asparagus suaveolens
• Asparagus tenuifolius
• Asparagus umbellatus – esparraguera común. Macaronesian native flora.
• Asparagus vaginellatus Bojer ex Baker
• Asparagus virgatus

{{Div col end}}

• Asparagus beetle (Crioceris asparagi)
• Spotted asparagus beetle (Crioceris duodecimpunctata)
• Asparagus miner (Ophiomyia simplex), a leaf-mining fly
• Asparagus fern caterpillar, also known as beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua).
• Asparagus fly (Platyparaea poeciloptera), a fruit fly
• Fusarium root and crown rot, caused by two species of fungi, Fusarium monoliforme and Fusarium oxysporium asparagi
• Asparagus rust, caused by the fungus Puccinia asparagi
• Botrytis blight, caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea
• The larvae of some Lepidoptera species have been recorded feeding on Asparagus. These include Coleophora lineapulvella, ghost moth, the nutmeg, small fan-footed wave, and turnip moth

A. asparagoides, known as bridal creeper, is a problematic weed in southern Australia.{{Cite web

|url=http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/main/wom_bridal_creeper.html

|accessdate=2006-04-30

|work=weed of the month

|title=bridal creeper

|publisher=CRC weed management

|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051215072601/http://weeds.crc.org.au/main/wom_bridal_creeper.html

|archivedate=2005-12-15

|url-status=dead

}}{{Cite web

|url=http://www.ento.csiro.au/biocontrol/bridal.html

|title=Bridal creeper, Asparagus asparagoides

|publisher=CSIRO Division of Entomology

|accessdate=2006-04-30| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20060509083226/http://www.ento.csiro.au/biocontrol/bridal.html| archivedate= 9 May 2006 | url-status= live}}

Asparagus asparagoides, A. scandens and A. setaceus are considered potentially destructive in California, growing as the result of escaped seeds; all can still be purchased at major and local garden centers. All three have the ability to completely overtake other, unrelated plants in their immediate surroundings, often climbing up the larger ones and strangling them, eventually cutting off the plant's flow of energy and nutrients. Birds are attracted to the red berries after blooming, thus transporting their seeds.

Asparagus asparagoides, A. aethiopicus (under the name A. densiflorus) and A. scandens are listed on the New Zealand National Pest Plant Accord since they are invasive plants.

A. setaceus is officially recognized as an invasive species in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil.{{cite web|url=https://www.sema.rs.gov.br/upload/arquivos/201612/23180118-portaria-sema-79-de-2013-especies-exoticas-invasoras-rs.pdf|title=Portaria Sema 79 de-2013 especies exoticas invasoras|website=SEMA|access-date=11 April 2023|language=pt}}

Image:Asparagus acutifolius frutos.jpg|Asparagus acutifolius

Image:Asparagus aethipicus Sprengeri1SHSU.jpg|Asparagus aethiopicus

Image:Asparagus asparagoides leaves.jpg|Asparagus asparagoides

Image:Asparagus fern.JPG|Asparagus densiflorus

Image:Asparagus falcatus habit.jpg|Asparagus falcatus

Image:Asparagus fallax02.jpg|Asparagus fallax

Image:Asperge planten Asparagus officinalis.jpg|Asparagus officinalis

Image:Asparagus setaceus Leaves 2760px.jpg|Asparagus setaceus

File:Asparagus stipularis (detail).jpg|Asparagus stipularis

Image:Asparagus tenuifolius1Georgi Kunev.jpg|Asparagus tenuifolius

Image:Asparagus umbellatus (La Fajana) 03 ies.jpg|Asparagus umbellatus

Image:Asparagus verticillatus1Georgi Kunev.jpg|Asparagus verticillatus

{{Reflist}}

• Fellingham, A.C. & Meyer, N.L. (1995) "New combinations and a complete list of Asparagus species in southern Africa (Asparagaceae)". Bothalia 25: 205–209.

{{EB1911 poster|Asparagus}}

• {{Commons category-inline|Asparagus}}
• [http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Asparagus.html Sorting Asparagus names] - multilingual listing of the Asparagus species
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120426090551/http://www.msmedia.com.au/biology/entopixb.htm Closeup photo of two species of Asparagus beetle]

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Category:Asparagaceae genera