Asparagaceae

Asparagaceae (/əsˌpærəˈɡeɪsiˌaɪ, -siːˌiː/), known as the asparagus family, is a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots.^[1] 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, lily of the valley, and hosta, and the houseplants include snake plant, corn cane, spider plant, and plumosus fern.

Asparagaceae
Asparagus officinalis flowering
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asparagaceae Juss.[1]
Genera
See text
Synonyms
Asparageae

The Asparagaceae is a morphologically heterogenous family with the included species varying widely in their appearance and growth form. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, with genera and species contained in the family native to all continents except Antarctica.^[2][3]

Taxonomy

Early taxonomy

The plant family Asparagaceae was first named, described, and published in Genera Plantarum in 1789 by the French botanist Antoine Laurent de Jussieu, who is particularly noted for his work in developing the concept of plant families.^[4] From the time of first introduction until the 21st century, the Asparagaceae was a monotypic family containing only the single genus, Asparagus, after which the family was named.^[5]

Asparagaceae under the APG II system

In 2003, the formation of the APG II plant classification system radically expanded the Asparagaceae to include the genera and species previously contained in seven plant families. In the APG II system, two options were provided as to the circumscription of the family, with Asparagaceae sensu lato (meaning in the wider sense) being the broader circumscription of the family documented in the APG II; or, Asparagaceae sensu stricto (meaning in the strict sense) consisting of only Asparagus and Hemiphylacus. If opting to use Asparagaceae sensu lato, the paper outlining the APG II system recommended placing the previously recognised family in parentheses after Asparagaceae.^[6] The paper also recommended including grouping the families Anemarrhenaceae, Anthericaeae, Behniaceae and Herreriaceae with the Agavaceae, noting that in 2000, the Convallariaceae, Dracaenaceae, Eriospermaceae and Nolinaceae had been grouped together in the Ruscaceae.^[6][7]

Asparagaceae under the APG II system^[6]

Family	Previously recognised families optionally included in APG II	Notes
Asparagaceae (sensu lato)	Agavaceae	Includes:[6] Anemarrhenaceae Anthericaeae Behniaceae Herreriaceae
	Aphyllanthaceae
	Asparagaceae (sensu stricto)
	Hyacinthaceae
	Laxmanniaceae
	Ruscaceae	Includes:[7] Convallariaceae Dracaenaceae Eriospermaceae Nolinaceae
	Themidaceae

Asparagaceae under the APG III system

In 2009, botanists proposed a major revision of the Asparagales order of plants, that included a vast expansion of three constituent plant families; the Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae, to include large number of genera in former plant families by placing them into subfamilies nested within these three plant families. Under the APG III system, the Asparagaceae contain seven subfamilies, and unlike the APG II system, Asparagaceae was only circumscribed in the broad sense (sensu lato), but the Asparagaceae subfamily Asparagoideae is roughly equivalent to Asparagaceae (sensu stricto) under the APG II system.^[8] Whilst the subfamilies are broadly equivalent to the previous subdivision by families under the APG II system, genera previously included in one previously recognised family may have moved to another subfamily under the APG III system, or even placed into another family outside of the Asparagaceae.^{[citation needed]}

Asparagaceae under the APG III system^[8]

Family	Subfamily	Previous subdivision under the APG II system
Asparagaceae	Agavoideae	Agavaceae
	Aphyllanthoideae	Aphyllanthaceae
	Asparagoideae	Asparagaceae (sensu stricto)
	Scilloideae	Hyacinthaceae
	Lomandroideae	Laxmanniaceae
	Nolinoideae	Ruscaceae
	Brodiaeoideae	Themidaceae

Genera

As of July 2025, the genus Asparagaceae includes 126 genera;^[9][10] and these genera contain approximately 3,170 accepted species altogether,^[10] although the number of accepted genera and their constituent species varies depending on authority and changes with time. The reference against the subfamily name is to the source which places the genus in that subfamily.

Asparagaceae genera^[11]

Subfamily	Genus
Lomandroideae[12]	Acanthocarpus Lehm.
Agavoideae[13]	Agave L.
Scilloideae[14]	Albuca L. (sometimes included in Ornithogalum[14])
Scilloideae[14]	Alrawia (Wendelbo) Perss. & Wendelbo
Brodiaeoideae[13]	Androstephium Torr.
Agavoideae[13]	Anemarrhena Bunge
Agavoideae[13]	Anthericum L.
Aphyllanthoideae[13]	Aphyllanthes L.
Lomandroideae[13]	Arthropodium R.Br.
Asparagoideae[13]	Asparagus Tourn. ex L.
Nolinoideae[13]	Aspidistra Ker Gawl. (including Antherolophus Gagnep., Colania Gagnep.)
Scilloideae	Autonoe (Webb & Berthel.) Speta
Scilloideae[14]	Barnardia Lindl.
Nolinoideae[14]	Beaucarnea Lem. (including Calibanus Rose.)
Agavoideae[13]	Behnia Didr.
Brodiaeoideae	Behria Greene
Scilloideae[14]	Bellevalia Lapeyr. (including Strangweja Bertol.)
Agavoideae[13]	Beschorneria Kunth
Brodiaeoideae[13]	Bessera Schult.f.
Brodiaeoideae[13]	Bloomeria Kellogg
Scilloideae[14]	Bowiea Harv. ex Hook.f. (Climbing Onion, Sea Onion)
Scilloideae[14]	Brimeura Salisb.
Brodiaeoideae[13]	Brodiaea Sm.
Agavoideae[13]	Camassia Lindl.
Lomandroideae[14]	Chamaexeros Benth.
Agavoideae[13]	Chlorogalum (Lindl.) Kunth
Agavoideae[13]	Chlorophytum Ker Gawl.
Agavoideae	Clara Kunth
Nolinoideae[13]	Comospermum Rauschert
Nolinoideae[13]	Convallaria L.
Lomandroideae[13]	Cordyline Comm. ex R.Br. (including Cohnia Kunth)
Nolinoideae[13]	Danae Medik.
Brodiaeoideae[13]	Dandya H.E.Moore
Nolinoideae[12]	Dasylirion Zucc.
Scilloideae[14]	Daubenya Lindl. (including Amphisiphon W.F.Barker, Androsiphon Schltr.)
Agavoideae[14]	Diamena Ravenna
Brodiaeoideae[13]	Dichelostemma Kunth (including Brevoortia, Stropholirion)
Lomandroideae[14]	Dichopogon Kunth (may be included in Arthropodium)
Agavoideae[14]	Diora Ravenna
Scilloideae[14]	Dipcadi Medik. (sometimes included in Ornithogalum[14])
Brodiaeoideae[14]	Dipterostemon Rydb.
Nolinoideae[14]	Disporopsis Hance
Agavoideae[14]	Diuranthera Hemsl.
Nolinoideae[13]	Dracaena Vand. ex L. (including Sansevieria Thunb)[15][16][17]
Scilloideae[14]	Drimia Jacq. (including Litanthus Harv., Rhadamanthus Salisb., Rhodocodon Baker, Schizobasis Baker, Sypharissa Salisb., Tenicroa Raf., Thuranthos C.H.Wright, Urginea Steinh., Urgineopsis Compton)
Scilloideae[14]	Drimiopsis Lindl. & Paxton (sometimes included in Ledebouria[14])
Agavoideae[13]	Echeandia Ortega
Agavoideae[13]	Echinoagave A.Vázquez, Rosales & García-Mor.
Agavoideae[12]	Eremocrinum M.E.Jones
Nolinoideae[13]	Eriospermum Jacq.
Scilloideae[14]	Eucomis L'Hér.
Lomandroideae[13]	Eustrephus R.Br.
Scilloideae	Fessia Speta
Agavoideae[12]	Furcraea Vent.
Scilloideae[14]	Galtonia Decne. (included in Ornithogalum L. by Plants of the World Online and other sources)
Agavoideae[14]	Hagenbachia Nees & Mart.
Agavoideae[13]	Hastingsia S.Watson
Asparagoideae[13]	Hemiphylacus S.Watson
Agavoideae[13]	Herreria Ruiz & Pav.
Agavoideae[13]	Herreriopsis H.Perrier
Agavoideae[14]	Hesperaloe Engelm. in S.Watson
Agavoideae[13]	Hesperocallis A.Gray
Agavoideae[14]	Hesperoyucca (Engelm.) Trel. (included in Yucca by some sources)
Nolinoideae[14]	Heteropolygonatum M.N.Tamura & Ogisu
Agavoideae	Hooveria D.W.Taylor & D.J.Keil
Agavoideae[13]	Hosta Tratt.
Scilloideae[14]	Hyacinthella Schur
Scilloideae[14]	Hyacinthoides Heist. ex Fabr. (including Endymion Dumort.)
Scilloideae[14]	Hyacinthus Tourn. ex L.
Brodiaeoideae	Jaimehintonia B.L.Turner
Scilloideae[14]	Lachenalia Jacq. ex Murray (including Brachyscypha Baker, Periboea Kunth, Polyxena Kunth)
Lomandroideae[13]	Laxmannia R.Br. (including Bartlingia F. Mueller)
Scilloideae[14]	Ledebouria Roth (including Resnova van der Merwe[14])
Scilloideae[14]	Leopoldia Parl. (included in Muscari Mill. by Plants of the World Online)
Agavoideae[13]	Leucocrinum Nutt. ex A.Gray
Nolinoideae[12]	Liriope Lour.
Lomandroideae[13]	Lomandra Labill. (including Xerotes R. Brown)
Nolinoideae[13]	Maianthemum F.H.Wigg. (including Oligobotrya Baker, Smilacina Desf.)
Agavoideae[12]	Manfreda Salisb. (included in Agave by some sources)
Scilloideae[14]	Massonia Thunb. ex Houtt. (including Neobakeria Schltr., Whiteheadia Harv.)
Scilloideae[14]	Merwilla Speta
Brodiaeoideae[13]	Milla Cav. (including Diphalangium)
Brodiaeoideae[13]	Muilla S.Watson ex Benth.
Scilloideae[14]	Muscari Mill. (including Botryanthus Kunth, and Pseudomuscari Garbari & Greuter)
Scilloideae	Muscarimia Kostel. ex Losinsk.
Scilloideae	Namophila U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies
Nolinoideae[13]	Nolina Michx.
Scilloideae	Occultia Stedje & Rulkens
Nolinoideae[13]	Ophiopogon Ker Gawl.
Scilloideae[14]	Ornithogalum L. (including Battandiera Maire, Elsiea F.M.Leight., Neopatersonia Schonl.)
Scilloideae[14]	Oziroe Raf. (including Fortunatia J.F.Macbr.)
Agavoideae[13]	Paleoagave A.Vázquez, Rosales & García-Mor.
Agavoideae[13]	Paraagave A.Vázquez, Rosales & García-Mor.
Agavoideae[13]	Paradisea Mazzuc.
Nolinoideae[13]	Peliosanthes Andrews
Brodiaeoideae[13]	Petronymphe H.E.Moore
Agavoideae[12]	Polianthes L. (included in Agave by some sources)
Nolinoideae[13]	Polygonatum Mill.
Agavoideae[14]	Prochnyanthes S.Watson
Scilloideae[14]	Prospero Salisb.
Scilloideae[14]	Pseudogaltonia (Kuntze) Engl. (sometimes included in Ornithogalum[14])
Scilloideae	Pseudolachenalia G.D.Duncan
Scilloideae[14]	Pseudoprospero Speta
Scilloideae[14]	Puschkinia Adams
Nolinoideae[14]	Reineckea Kunth
Scilloideae	Resnova van der Merwe
Nolinoideae[14]	Rohdea Roth (including Campylandra Baker and Gonioscypha Baker)
Lomandroideae[14]	Romnalda P.F.Stevens
Nolinoideae[13]	Ruscus L.
Scilloideae[14]	Schizocarphus van der Merwe
Agavoideae[13]	Schoenolirion Durand
Scilloideae[14]	Scilla L. (including Chionodoxa Boiss.)
Nolinoideae[13]	Semele Kunth
Lomandroideae[14]	Sowerbaea Sm.
Nolinoideae[13]	Speirantha Baker
Scilloideae[14]	Spetaea Wetschnig & Pfosser
Nolinoideae[14]	Theropogon Maxim.
Lomandroideae[13]	Thysanotus R.Br. (including Murchisonia Brittan)
Lomandroideae[14]	Trichopetalum Lindl. (including Bottinaea Colla)
Agavoideae	Trihesperus Herb.
Brodiaeoideae[13]	Triteleia Douglas ex Lindl. (including Hesperoscordium, Themis)
Brodiaeoideae[13]	Triteleiopsis Hoover
Nolinoideae[13]	Tupistra Ker Gawl. (including Tricalistra Ridl.)
Scilloideae[14]	Veltheimia Gled.
Lomandroideae[13]	Xerolirion A.S.George
Brodiaeoideae[13]	Xochiquetzallia J.Gut
Agavoideae[13]	Yucca L. (including Samuela Trel.)
Scilloideae	Zagrosia Speta

Obsolete genera or species formerly included in the Asparagaceae

Calibanus was a former genus that was placed in the Asparagaceae (Nolinoideae subfamily) when the APG III system was introduced.^[18] Both members of the genus have since been transferred to the genus Beaucarnea (also a member of the Asparagaceae (Nolinoideae subfamily)) after molecular phylogenetic research demonstrated a strong phylogenetic relationship with species of Beaucarnea.^[19][20]

Sansevieria was a long recognised genus belonging to the Nolinoideae subfamily but on the basis of molecular phylogenetic studies,^[21][22][16] the species formerly including as belonging to the genus have been transferred to the genus Dracaena (also included in the Noliniodeae subfamily).^[15][16][17]