Asparagus officinalis

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 313. 1753.

Common names: Garden asparagus common asparagus
IntroducedIllustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 214. Mentioned on page 212, 213.

Herbs, erect, 1–2.5 m; rhizomes fibrous. Stems annual, densely branched distally; branches finely dissected, ascending to perpendicular, unarmed; cladophylls in clusters of (2–)4–15(–25) per node, filiform, straight or curved, 1–3 cm. Leaves scalelike, 3–4 mm; blade lanceolate, base hardened. Inflorescences in axillary racemes, 1–3-flowered. Flowers some unisexual; perianth campanulate, yellow or yellowish green; tepals connate 1–2 mm, greenish white, 3–8 × 1–2 mm; pedicel 8–12 mm, jointed at or above middle. Berries red, 6–10 mm. Seeds 2–4. 2n = 20, 40.


Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Fields, fencerows, roadsides, disturbed areas
Elevation: 0–2500 m

Distribution

Introduced; St. Pierre and Miquelon, Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo., Europe, Asia, n Africa, naturalized in temperate regions worldwide.

Discussion

Eaten as a vegetable, Asparagus officinalis has been widely cultivated for its young shoots since ancient Greek times. The species is naturalized in many temperate climates. Mature asparagus has caused poisoning in cattle (J. M. Kingsbury 1964). Young plants can cause dermatitis, and the red berries are suspected of poisoning humans (E. M. Schmutz and L. B. Hamilton 1979). The species is dioecious (J. E. Lazarte and B. F. Palser 1979), and homomorphic sex chromosomes have been identified (H. Loptien 1979).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Asparagus officinalis"
Gerald B. Straley† +  and Frederick H. Utech +
Linnaeus +
Garden asparagus +  and common asparagus +
St. Pierre and Miquelon +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Ala. +, Ariz. +, Ark. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, Nev. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Vt. +, Va. +, Wash. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +, Wyo. +, Europe +, Asia +, n Africa +  and naturalized in temperate regions worldwide. +
0–2500 m +
Fields, fencerows, roadsides, disturbed areas +
Flowering summer. +
W2 +, Introduced +  and Illustrated +
Asparagus officinalis +
Asparagus +
species +