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Asparagaceae (asparagus family)
Life
> eukaryotes >
Archaeoplastida >
Chloroplastida
>
Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants)
> Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants)
> Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering
plants)
> Monocotyledons > Order: Asparagales
Two genera and 165-295 species (Africa, Asia and Europe,
touching into Australia). Most of the species fall in
Asparagus
which has about 120 species and this is the only genus that occurs in southern
Africa where there are about 81 species. The asparagus vegetable that we eat is
derived from young shoots of
Asparagus officinalis (asparagus).
However, the shoots of some indigenous southern African species are also eaten.
Publications
- Malcomber, S.T. & Sebsebe, D. 1993. The
status of Protasparagus and Myrsiphyllum in the Asparagaceae. Kew
Bulletin 48: 63-78.
- Obermeyer, A.A. & Immelman, K.L. 1992.
Asparagaceae. Flora of Southern Africa 5,3: 11-82.
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