Asparagus (genus)

Asparagus officinalis, Illustration Otto Wilhelm Thomé in Flora of Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Asparagus (Asparagus ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family of asparagus plants ( Asparagaceae ). In this article there is information on the species-rich genus Asparagus. It is widespread in the Old World. There are several styles and cultural forms that are used as ornamental plants. The most economically important species of this genus is known as a cultivated plant vegetables asparagus (Asparagus officinalis). In Germany and Austria it usually says the asparagus, the asparagus in Switzerland.

Description

Asparagus species grow as a perennial, herbaceous plants or subshrubs. They usually form short rhizomes as outlasting. The upright or climbing stems are often branched. In the axils of the stems and branches of deciduous leaf-like, green stem axis, called phylloclades are formed, they are rarely individually, but mostly in clusters and are flat and triangular to nearly terete. The pressed on the stem arranged leaves are not green, usually relatively small, scale-like and fleshy to membranous and its base is transformed into hard spines.

The flowers are individually rare, together mostly clusters in the leaf axils or sometimes in racemose or doldigen inflorescences. About each a membranous cover sheet is a structured flower stalk. The relatively small, threefold flowers are usually bisexual, rarely unisexual. Are the flowers unisexual, then the species is dioecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( dioecious ). The six equally diverse, bell-shaped to almost spherical standing together bracts are free or sometimes fused at their base. There are two circles, each with three stamens present. The stamens are usually fused with the more or less long bloom cladding. Three carpels are fused to a constant above, dreikammerigen ovary. Each ovary chamber contains several ovules. The spherical berries contain some or often only one seed.

Dissemination

The genus Asparagus has a wide distribution area in Eurasia and Africa. They thrive from temperate to tropical areas. The center of diversity lies at the southern tip of Africa in the floral kingdom of Capensis. In China, there are about 31 species, of which 15 are only there before. Approximately 15 species of which occur in Europe.

System

The genus Asparagus belongs to the subfamily Asparagoideae within the family of Asparagaceae.

The genus Asparagus was erected in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum. The vegetable asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) was founded in 1978 as lectotype of Marais & Coode in Liliacees, in Fl. Mascareignes, 183, p 8 set. Synonyms for Asparagus L. are: Asparagopsis ( Kunth ) Kunth, Elachanthera F.Muell .. Whether the species of the genera Myrsiphyllum Willd. and Protasparagus Oberm. are incorporated into the genus asparagus is discussed this also results in the large fluctuation of the number of species in the literature. The genus name derives from the Greek word Asparagus asparasso for rip, tear, this refers to the thorny phylloclades some species.

Including the genera Myrsiphyllum Willd. and Protasparagus Oberm. the genus Asparagus L. comprises about 220 species following:

• Asparagus acicularis F.T.Wang & S.C.Chen
• Asparagus acocksii Jessop
• Asparagus acutifolius L. ( Spitzblättriger asparagus)
• Asparagus adscendens Roxb.
• Asparagus aethiopicus L.
• Asparagus africanus Lam. Asparagus africanus africanus var
• Asparagus africanus var puberulus ( Baker) Sebsebe

• Asparagus aphyllus subsp. aphyllus
• Asparagus aphyllus subsp. orientalis ( Baker) P.H.Davis

• Asparagus capensis capensis var

• Asparagus capitatus subsp. capitatus
• Asparagus capitatus subsp. gracilis Browicz

• Asparagus denudatus subsp. denudatus
• Asparagus denudatus subsp. nudicaulis ( Baker) Sebsebe

• Asparagus flavicaulis subsp. flavicaulis
• Asparagus flavicaulis subsp. setulosus ( Oberm. ) Fellingham & N.L.Mey.

• Asparagus madecassus var madecassus
• Asparagus madecassus montanus var H.Perrier

• Asparagus nesiotes subsp. nesiotes
• Asparagus nesiotes subsp. purpureiensis Marrero Rodr. & A.Ramos

• Asparagus umbellatus subsp. umbellatus
• Asparagus umbellatus subsp. lowei ( Kunth ) Valdés
• Asparagus umbellatus var flavescens Svent.

Use

The freshly sprouting stalks of asparagus ( Asparagus officinalis L.) are a valued vegetables. Some species and cultivars used in gardens, on balconies and in rooms as ornamental plants.

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