Asparagus (genus)

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Asparagus
AsparagusPlumosus2.jpg
Asparagus setaceus
Asparagus tubers00.jpg
Asparagus tubers
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Asparagoideae
Genus: Asparagus
L.
Type species

Asparagus officinalis

Synonyms [1]
  • ElidMedik.
  • MyrsiphyllumWilld.
  • Asparagopsis(Kunth) Kunth
  • HecatrisSalisb.
  • ElachantheraF.Muell.
  • ProtasparagusOberm.

Asparagus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Asparagoideae. [2] It comprises up to 300 species. Most are evergreen long-lived perennial plants growing from the understory as lianas, bushes or climbing plants. The best-known species is the edible Asparagus officinalis , commonly referred to as just asparagus. Some other members of the genus, such as Asparagus densiflorus , are grown as ornamental plants.

Contents

Ecology

The genus includes a variety of living forms, occurring from rainforest to semi-desert habitats; many are climbing plants. Most are dispersed by birds.[ citation needed ]

Ornamental species such as Asparagus plumosus , Asparagus aethiopicus , Asparagus setaceus , 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 ] of a leafy vine. In the drier Mediterranean climate the asparagus genus evolved in the Tertiary into thorny, drought-adapted species.[ citation needed ] Root tubers are storage organs developed by Asparagus species and are a valuable source of moisture and nutrition for species growing under drought conditions. [3]

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 to four million years ago in Eurasia and the Mediterranean Basin. [4]

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. [5] 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"). [6] 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.

Selected species

As of September 2014, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepts 212 species of Asparagus, including: [7]

Pests and diseases

Invasive species

A. asparagoides , known as bridal creeper, is a problematic weed in southern Australia. [11] [12]

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. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vine</span> Plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent stems or runners

A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent stems, lianas, or runners. The word vine can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asparagaceae</span> Family of plants

Asparagaceae, known as the asparagus family, is a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots. The family name is based on the edible garden asparagus, Asparagus officinalis. This family includes both common garden plants as well as common houseplants. The garden plants include asparagus, yucca, bluebell, and hosta, and the houseplants include snake plant, corn cane, spider plant, and plumosus fern.

<i>Asparagus setaceus</i> Species of plant

Asparagus setaceus, commonly known as common asparagus fern, asparagus grass, lace fern, climbing asparagus, or ferny asparagus, is a climbing plant in the genus Asparagus. Despite its common name, the plant is not a true fern, but has leaves that resemble one.

<i>Asparagus asparagoides</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae

Asparagus asparagoides, commonly known as bridal creeper, bridal-veil creeper, gnarboola, smilax or smilax asparagus, is a herbaceous climbing plant of the family Asparagaceae native to eastern and southern Africa. Sometimes grown as an ornamental plant, it has become a serious environmental weed in Australia and New Zealand.

<i>Asparagus aethiopicus</i> Species of flowering plant

Asparagus aethiopicus, Sprenger's asparagus, is a plant native to the Cape Provinces and the Northern Provinces of South Africa. Often used as an ornamental plant, it is considered an invasive weed in many locations. Asparagus fern, asparagus grass and foxtail fern are common names; however, it is unrelated to true ferns. A. aethiopicus has been confused with A. densiflorus, now regarded as a separate species, so that information about A. aethiopicus will often be found under the name A. densiflorus.

Asparagus fern is a common name given to several plants in the genus Asparagus. It may refer to:

<i>Puccinia asparagi</i> Species of fungus

Puccinia asparagi is the causative agent of asparagus rust. It is an autoecious fungus, meaning that all stages of its life cycle – pycniospores, aeciospores, and teliospores – all develop upon the same host plant . Rust diseases are among the most destructive plant diseases, known to cause famine following destruction of grains, vegetables, and legumes. Asparagus rust occurs wherever the plant is grown and attacks asparagus plants during and after the cutting season. Asparagus spears are usually harvested before extensive rust symptoms appear. Symptoms are first noticeable on the growing shoots in early summer as light green, oval lesions, followed by tan blister spots and black, protruding blisters later in the season. The lesions are symptoms of Puccinia asparagi during early spring, mid-summer and later summer to fall, respectively. Severe rust infections stunt or kill young asparagus shoots, causing foliage to fall prematurely, and reduce the ability of the plant to store food reserves. The Puccinia asparagi fungus accomplishes this by rust lowering the amounts of root storage metabolites. The infected plant has reduced plant vigor and yield, often leading to death in severe cases. Most rust diseases have several stages, some of which may occur on different hosts; however, in asparagus rust all the life stages occur on asparagus. Because of this, many observers mistake the different stages of the Puccinia asparagi life cycle as the presence of different diseases. The effects of Puccinia asparagi are present worldwide wherever asparagus is being grown. Asparagus rust is a serious threat to the asparagus industry.

<i>Puccinia</i> Genus of rust fungi

Puccinia is a genus of fungi. All species in this genus are obligate plant pathogens and are known as rusts. The genus contains about 4000 species.

<i>Asparagus scandens</i> Species of vine

Asparagus scandens is a flowering plant native to South Africa in the genus Asparagus. It is not related to ferns.

<i>Asparagus virgatus</i> Species of flowering plant

Asparagus virgatus is a species of flowering plant in the Asparagaceae family. It indigenous to South Eastern Africa. It is also known as tree fern, tiki fern, and African broom fern. Asparagus virgatus is a member of the genus Asparagus, and not a true fern.

<i>Asparagus densiflorus</i> Species of flowering plant

Asparagus densiflorus (among several species colloquially called asparagus ferns; no relation to actual ferns), or the foxtail fern (asparagus) or plume fern, is a variable, evergreen-perennial plant related to cultivated, edible asparagus.

<i>Asparagus capensis</i> Species of shrub

Asparagus capensis, also called katdoring is a dense, thorny, shrub of the Asparagus genus, that is indigenous to South Africa and Namibia.

<i>Asparagus lignosus</i> Species of vine

Asparagus lignosus ("Katdoring") is a thorny, spindly creeper of the Asparagus genus, that is indigenous to the Western Cape Province of South Africa.

Foxtail fern is a common name given to several ornamental plants in the genus Asparagus. It may refer to:

<i>Asparagus mucronatus</i> Species of shrub

Asparagus mucronatus ("Katdoring") is a thorny shrub or creeper of the Asparagus genus, that is indigenous to the southern Cape regions of South Africa.

<i>Asparagus krebsianus</i> Species of shrub

Asparagus krebsianus is a shrub of the Asparagus genus that is native to rocky areas in southern Africa. It ranges from central Malawi through Mozambique to the Northern Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, and Cape Provinces of South Africa.

<i>Puccinia myrsiphylli</i> Species of fungus

Puccinia myrsiphylli is a rust fungus in the genus Puccinia, family Pucciniaceae, and is native to South Africa. It has been tested, introduced, and targeted in Australia and New Zealand as an effective biocontrol agent for Asparagus asparagoides, also known as bridal creeper.

References

  1. "Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  2. Chase, M.W.; Reveal, J.L. & Fay, M.F. (2009), "A subfamilial classification for the expanded asparagalean families Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae", Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 161 (2): 132–136, doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00999.x
  3. "Asparagus densiflorus plant suitable for green roof".
  4. Bentz, Philip C; Burrows, John E; Burrows, Sandra M; Mizrachi, Eshchar; Liu, Zhengjie; Yang, Junbo; Mao, Zichao; Popecki, Margot; Seberg, Ole; Petersen, Gitte; Leebens-Mack, Jim (2024-09-18). "Bursts of Rapid Diversification, Dispersals Out of Southern Africa, and Two Origins of Dioecy Punctuate the Evolution of Asparagus". Genome Biology and Evolution. 16 (10). doi:10.1093/gbe/evae200. ISSN   1759-6653. PMC   11487909 .
  5. Malcomber, S. T.; Demissew, Sebsebe (1993). "The Status of Protasparagus and Myrsiphyllum in the Asparagaceae". Kew Bulletin. 48 (1): 63–78. doi:10.2307/4115749. JSTOR   4115749.
  6. Marloth, Rudolf. “The Flora of South Africa” 1932 Pub. Cape Town: Darter Bros. London: Wheldon & Wesley.
  7. "Asparagus", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families , Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2014-09-01
  8. Lee DY, Choo BK, Yoon T, Cheon MS, Lee HW, Lee AY, Kim HK (12 January 2009). "Anti-inflammatory effects of Asparagus cochinchinensis extract in acute and chronic cutaneous inflammation". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 121 (1): 28–24. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2008.07.006. PMID   18691647.
  9. Biosecurity SA : Declared plants in South Australia 2014 Accessed 1 September 2014.
  10. "Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  11. "bridal creeper". weed of the month. CRC weed management. Archived from the original on 2005-12-15. Retrieved 2006-04-30.
  12. "Bridal creeper, Asparagus asparagoides". CSIRO Division of Entomology. Archived from the original on 9 May 2006. Retrieved 2006-04-30.
  13. "Portaria Sema 79 de-2013 especies exoticas invasoras" (PDF). SEMA (in Portuguese). Retrieved 11 April 2023.

Bibliography