Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae Juss., Gen. Pl. 40. 1789. nom. cons. 'Asparagus Family'
Salient Features
Members are large herbs, shrubs or small, sparsely branched trees.
Leaves usually in rosette, spine tipped, succulent, fibrous.
In some members leaf like photosynthesizing organs- ‘cladodes’ or ‘phylloclades’ present.
Inflorescence of spikes to thyrses, umbels or solitary.
Flowers bisexual (usually), perianth 6, free or connate, stamens 6, often adnate to perianth.
Gynoecium of 3 united carpels, ovary superior or inferior, trilocular, with axile ovules.
Fruit a globose coloured berry or capsule, seeds often black.
Diversity:
World- 128 genera, 2929 species (The Plant List 2013); 114 genera, 2900 species (Christenhusz & Byng 2016); 110 genera, 2450 species (Mabberley 2017); 120 genera, 3159 species (CoL 2021)
India - 16 genera, 100 species (BSI 2021)
Indian Himalaya- 20 genera, 65 species
Uttarakhand- ?
General Characters:
Asparagaceae in Watson & Dallwitz (1992 onwards)
Asparagaceae in POWO 2021 (Plants of the World Online)
Asparagaceae in Wikipedia
Systematic Position of Family in Different Systems of Classifications:
Systematic position in 2-Superkingdom, 7-Kingdom classification of Ruggiero et al. (2015)
Super Kingdom- Eukaryota, Kingdom- Plantae, Subkingdom- Viridiplantae, Infrakingdom- Streptophyta, Superphylum- Embryophyta, Phylum- Tracheophyta, Subphylum- Spermatophytina, Superclass- Angiospermae, Class- Magnoliopsida, Superorder- Lilianae, Order- Asparagales
Bentham & Hooker (1862-83)
Class : Monotyledons
Series : Coronarieae
(Included in Liliaceae)
Engler & Prantl (1887-1915)
Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Embryophyta Siphonogama
Subdivision : Angiospermae
Class : Monocotyledoneae
Order : Liliflorae
Suborder : Liliineae
(Included in Liliaceae)
Hutchinson (1973)
Phylum : Angiospermae
Subphylum : Monocotyledones
Division : Corolliferae
Order : Liliales
Cronquist (1988)
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Liliopsida
Subclass : Liliidae
Order :Liliales
Thorne & Reveal (2007)
Class : Magnoliopsida
Subclass : Liliidae
Super Order: Lilianae
Order : Iridales
Suborder : Asparagineae
Takhtajan (2009)
Phylum : Magnoliophyta
Class : Liliopsida
Subclass : Liliidae
Super Order : Lilianae
Order : Asparagales
APG-IV (2016)
Clade : Angiosperms
Clade : Monocots
Order : Asparagales
Shipunov (2020)
Class : Angiospermae
Subclass : Liliidae
Order : Liliales
Suborder : Asparagineae
Reveal (2012)
Class : Equisetopsida
Subclass : Liliidae
Super Order : Lilianae
Order : Iridales
Suborder : Asparagineae
Genera & Species in Pantnagar
To see larger images please click on the names
***Cultivated Flora***
Agave amica (Medik.) Thiede & Govaerts
Vernacular name: Tuberose (English); Rajnigandha (Hindi)
Nativity:Mexico (POWO, 2019)
Common Characteristics: Bulbous herb. Leaves long narrow, lanceolate. Inflorescence spike. Flower waxy white, funnel shaped, aromatic.
Flowering period: May to November
Propagation Methods: Propagated by rhizomes (Dave’s Garden)
Photographed @ MFC
Agave demeesteriana Jacobi
Asparagus officinalis L.
Vernacular name: Garden asparagus
Nativity: Southern Europe, West Asia and Northwestern Africa (POWO, 2019)
Common Characteristics: Upright herb. Cladodes leaf like, needle shaped, 1-10 in each cluster, true leaves scaly, minute, located at base of cladodes. Male and female flowers separate, bell shaped.
Flowering period: January to March
Propagation Methods: Propagated by seed and by division of crown (Useful Tropical Plants)
Photographed @ VRC
Cordyline fruticosa (L.) A.Chev.
Vernacular name: Cabbage Palm, Good Luck Plant, Palm Lily, Ti plant
Nativity:Eastern India to West Pacific (POWO, 2019)
Common Characteristics: Evergreen shrub, stem unbranched, leave oblong or lanceolate, vary from purplish to reddish colour.
Flowering period: August to September
Propagation Methods: Propagated vegetatively by stem cuttings (Useful Tropical Plants)
Photographed @ Garden Section
Dracaena angolensis (Welw.) Byng & Christenh.
Vernacular name: Cylindrical snake plant, Spear sansevieria
Nativity:Tropical South Africa (POWO, 2019)
Common Characteristics: Evergreen herb. Leaves cylindrical, stiffed and having transverse dark green colour bands.
Flowering period: December to February
Propagation Methods: Propagated by dividing rhizomatous part (Dave’s Garden)
Photographed @ Garden Section
Dracaena fragrans (L.) Ker Gawl.
Vernacular name: Cornstalk plant
Nativity: Tropical Africa (POWO, 2019)
Common Characteristics: Herbaceous upright shrub. Leaves large, lanceolate, broadly striped..
Flowering period: March to May
Propagation Methods: Propagated by stem cuttings or by simple layering (Dave’s Garden)
Photographed @ Yamnotri Bhawan
Dracaena reflexa Lam.
Vernacular name: Song of India
Nativity: Western Africa and Madagascar (POWO, 2019)
Common Characteristics: Herbaceous shrub. Leaves simple, linear, in rosette, variegated, midrib absent.
Flowering period: March to May
Propagation Methods: Propagated by stem cuttings (Dave’s Garden)
Photographed @ Garden Section
Dracaena trifasciata (Hort. ex Prain) Mabb.
Vernacular name: Mother-in-law's tongue, Snake Plant
Nativity: Tropical Africa (POWO, 2019)
Common Characteristics: Evergreen herb. Subterranean stem rhizomatous. Leaves whitish- green to blakish green, linear lanceolate, thick, with transverse dark bands on both surfaces.
Flowering period: July to November
Propagation Methods: Propagated by leaf cutting or cuttings of rhizomatous stem (Dave’s Garden)
Photographed @ Garden Section
Furcraea foetida (L.) Haw.
Vernacular name: Giant Cabuya, Green-aloe, Mauritius-hemp
Nativity:Central America and Northern South America (POWO, 2019)
Common Characteristics: Evergreen perennial. Stem very short, leaves greenish to creamy in colour, large, oblong lanceolate, in dense basal rosette, with wavy margins and terminal spine.
Flowering period: August to January
Propagation Methods: Propagated by bulbils or seeds (Dave’s Garden)
Photographed @ Garden Section