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, lily of the valley, agave‚ and hosta, and the houseplants include snake plant, corn cane, spider plant, and plumosus fern.
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.
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.Asparagaceae Juss., Gen. Pl. [Jussieu] 40 (1789), nom. cons. International Plant Name Index, IPNI.org 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.
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. 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. +Asparagaceae under the APG II systemFamilyPreviously recognised families optionally included in APG IINotesAsparagaceae (sensu lato)AgavaceaeIncludes: Anemarrhenaceae Anthericaeae Behniaceae HerreriaceaeAphyllanthaceaeAsparagaceae (sensu stricto)HyacinthaceaeLaxmanniaceaeRuscaceaeIncludes: Convallariaceae Dracaenaceae Eriospermaceae NolinaceaeThemidaceae
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. 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. +Asparagaceae under the APG III systemFamilySubfamilyPrevious subdivision under the APG II systemAsparagaceaeAgavoideaeAgavaceaeAphyllanthoideaeAphyllanthaceaeAsparagoideaeAsparagaceae (sensu stricto)ScilloideaeHyacinthaceaeLomandroideaeLaxmanniaceaeConvallarioideae (formerly NolinoideaeStevens, P.F. (2001 onwards). "7. Convallarioideae Herbert". Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Retrieved 2025-08-06.)RuscaceaeBrodiaeoideaeThemidaceae
Genera As of July 2025, the family Asparagaceae includes 126 genera; and these genera contain approximately 3,170 accepted species altogether, 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. (References may use the former subfamily name Nolinoideae rather than Convallarioideae.)
+ Asparagaceae genera Subfamily GenusLomandroideaeAcanthocarpus Lehm.AgavoideaeAgave L.ScilloideaeAlbuca L. (sometimes included in Ornithogalum)ScilloideaeAlrawia (Wendelbo) Perss. & WendelboBrodiaeoideaeAndrostephium Torr.AgavoideaeAnemarrhena BungeAgavoideaeAnthericum L.AphyllanthoideaeAphyllanthes L.LomandroideaeArthropodium R.Br.AsparagoideaeAsparagus Tourn. ex L.ConvallarioideaeAspidistra Ker Gawl. (including Antherolophus Gagnep., Colania Gagnep.) ScilloideaeAutonoe (Webb & Berthel.) SpetaScilloideaeBarnardia Lindl.ConvallarioideaeBeaucarnea Lem. (including Calibanus Rose.)AgavoideaeBehnia Didr.BrodiaeoideaeBehria GreeneScilloideaeBellevalia Lapeyr. (including Strangweja Bertol.)AgavoideaeBeschorneria KunthBrodiaeoideaeBessera Schult.f.BrodiaeoideaeBloomeria KelloggScilloideaeBowiea Harv. ex Hook.f. (Climbing Onion, Sea Onion)ScilloideaeBrimeura Salisb.BrodiaeoideaeBrodiaea Sm.AgavoideaeCamassia Lindl.LomandroideaeChamaexeros Benth.AgavoideaeChlorogalum (Lindl.) KunthAgavoideaeChlorophytum Ker Gawl.AgavoideaeClara KunthConvallarioideaeComospermum RauschertConvallarioideaeConvallaria L.LomandroideaeCordyline Comm. ex R.Br. (including Cohnia Kunth)ConvallarioideaeDanae Medik.BrodiaeoideaeDandya H.E.MooreConvallarioideaeDasylirion Zucc.ScilloideaeDaubenya Lindl. (including Amphisiphon W.F.Barker, Androsiphon Schltr.)AgavoideaeDiamena RavennaBrodiaeoideaeDichelostemma Kunth (including Brevoortia, Stropholirion)LomandroideaeDichopogon Kunth (may be included in Arthropodium)AgavoideaeDiora RavennaScilloideaeDipcadi Medik. (sometimes included in Ornithogalum)BrodiaeoideaeDipterostemon Rydb.ConvallarioideaeDisporopsis HanceAgavoideaeDiuranthera Hemsl.ConvallarioideaeDracaena Vand. ex L. (including Sansevieria Thunb)Ghoshal, P.P., Chakrabarty, T., Kumar, A. & Dey, S. (2021). Conspectus of the genus Dracaena (Asparagaceae) in the Indo-Burmese region. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 45: 20-32.ScilloideaeDrimia Jacq. (including Litanthus Harv., Rhadamanthus Salisb., Rhodocodon Baker, Schizobasis Baker, Sypharissa Salisb., Tenicroa Raf., Thuranthos C.H.Wright, Urginea Steinh., Urgineopsis Compton)ScilloideaeDrimiopsis Lindl. & Paxton (sometimes included in Ledebouria)AgavoideaeEcheandia OrtegaAgavoideaeEchinoagave A.Vázquez, Rosales & García-Mor.AgavoideaeEremocrinum M.E.JonesConvallarioideaeEriospermum Jacq.ScilloideaeEucomis L'Hér.LomandroideaeEustrephus R.Br.ScilloideaeFessia SpetaAgavoideaeFurcraea Vent.ScilloideaeGaltonia Decne. (included in Ornithogalum L. by Plants of the World Online and other sources)AgavoideaeHagenbachia Nees & Mart.AgavoideaeHastingsia S.WatsonAsparagoideaeHemiphylacus S.WatsonAgavoideaeHerreria Ruiz & Pav.AgavoideaeHerreriopsis H.PerrierAgavoideaeHesperaloe Engelm. in S.WatsonAgavoideaeHesperocallis A.GrayAgavoideaeHesperoyucca (Engelm.) Trel. (included in Yucca by some sources)ConvallarioideaeHeteropolygonatum M.N.Tamura & OgisuAgavoideaeHooveria D.W.Taylor & D.J.KeilAgavoideaeHosta Tratt.ScilloideaeHyacinthella SchurScilloideaeHyacinthoides Heist. ex Fabr. (including Endymion Dumort.)ScilloideaeHyacinthus Tourn. ex L.BrodiaeoideaeJaimehintonia B.L.TurnerScilloideaeLachenalia Jacq. ex Murray (including Brachyscypha Baker, Periboea Kunth, Polyxena Kunth)LomandroideaeLaxmannia R.Br. (including Bartlingia F. Mueller)ScilloideaeLedebouria Roth (including Resnova van der Merwe)ScilloideaeLeopoldia Parl. (included in Muscari by Plants of the World Online, may be treated as Muscari subg. Leopoldia)AgavoideaeLeucocrinum Nutt. ex A.GrayConvallarioideaeLiriope Lour.LomandroideaeLomandra Labill. (including Xerotes R. Brown)ConvallarioideaeMaianthemum F.H.Wigg. (including Oligobotrya Baker, Smilacina Desf.)AgavoideaeManfreda Salisb. (included in Agave by some sources)ScilloideaeMassonia Thunb. ex Houtt. (including Neobakeria Schltr., Whiteheadia Harv.)ScilloideaeMerwilla SpetaBrodiaeoideaeMilla Cav. (including Diphalangium)BrodiaeoideaeMuilla S.Watson ex Benth.ScilloideaeMuscari Mill. (including Botryanthus Kunth, and Pseudomuscari Garbari & Greuter)ScilloideaeMuscarimia Kostel. ex Losinsk.ScilloideaeNamophila U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-DobliesConvallarioideaeNolina Michx.ScilloideaeOccultia Stedje & RulkensConvallarioideaeOphiopogon Ker Gawl.ScilloideaeOrnithogalum L. (including Battandiera Maire, Elsiea F.M.Leight., Neopatersonia Schonl.)ScilloideaeOziroe Raf. (including Fortunatia J.F.Macbr.)AgavoideaePaleoagave A.Vázquez, Rosales & García-Mor.AgavoideaeParaagave A.Vázquez, Rosales & García-Mor.AgavoideaeParadisea Mazzuc.ConvallarioideaePeliosanthes AndrewsBrodiaeoideaePetronymphe H.E.MooreAgavoideaePolianthes L. (included in Agave by some sources)ConvallarioideaePolygonatum Mill.AgavoideaeProchnyanthes S.WatsonScilloideaeProspero Salisb.ScilloideaePseudogaltonia (Kuntze) Engl. (sometimes included in Ornithogalum)Scilloideae Pseudolachenalia ScilloideaePseudoprospero SpetaScilloideaePuschkinia AdamsConvallarioideaeReineckea KunthScilloideaeResnova van der MerweConvallarioideaeRohdea Roth (including Campylandra Baker and Gonioscypha Baker)LomandroideaeRomnalda P.F.StevensConvallarioideaeRuscus L.ScilloideaeSchizocarphus van der MerweAgavoideaeSchoenolirion DurandScilloideaeScilla L. (including Chionodoxa Boiss.)ConvallarioideaeSemele KunthLomandroideaeSowerbaea Sm.ConvallarioideaeSpeirantha BakerScilloideaeSpetaea Wetschnig & PfosserConvallarioideaeTheropogon Maxim.LomandroideaeThysanotus R.Br. (including Murchisonia Brittan)LomandroideaeTrichopetalum Lindl. (including Bottinaea Colla)AgavoideaeTrihesperus Herb.BrodiaeoideaeTriteleia Douglas ex Lindl. (including Hesperoscordium, Themis)BrodiaeoideaeTriteleiopsis HooverConvallarioideaeTupistra Ker Gawl. (including Tricalistra Ridl.)ScilloideaeVeltheimia Gled.LomandroideaeXerolirion A.S.GeorgeBrodiaeoideaeXochiquetzallia J.GutAgavoideaeYucca L. (including Samuela )ScilloideaeZagrosia Speta
Obsolete genera or species formerly included in the Asparagaceae Calibanus was a former genus that was placed in the Asparagaceae (Convallarioideae subfamily) when the APG III system was introduced.Calibanus. Kew Plants of the World Online https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:297730-2 Both members of the genus have since been transferred to the genus Beaucarnea (also a member of the Asparagaceae (Convallarioideae subfamily)) after molecular phylogenetic research demonstrated a strong phylogenetic relationship with species of Beaucarnea.Molecular phylogenetics and morphology of Beaucarnea (Ruscaceae) as distinct from Nolina, and the submersion of Calibanus into Beaucarnea (2014). Rojas-Piña, V., Olson, M.E., Alvarado-Cárdenas, L.O. & Eguiarte, L.E.. Taxon 63: 1193-1211. [Cited as Beaucarnea.]
Sansevieria was a long recognised genus belonging to the Convallarioideae subfamily but on the basis of molecular phylogenetic studies, the species formerly including as belonging to the genus have been transferred to the genus Dracaena (also included in the Noliniodeae subfamily).
References
Bibliography
External links
Asparagaceae [sensu stricto] in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval. Version: 27 April 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20070103200438/http://delta-intkey.com/ Liliaceae in Flora of North America NCBI Taxonomy Browser [Asparagaceae sensu stricto] links at CSDL, Texas Asparagaceae in BoDD – Botanical Dermatology Database