''Asphodeline'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of perennial plants in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Asphodelaceae
Asphodelaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Asparagales. Such a family has been recognized by most taxonomists, but the circumscription has varied widely. In its current circumscription in the APG IV system, it includes about 40 ...
, first described as a genus in 1830. It is native to the eastern
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
region and the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
from
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
and
Algeria
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, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
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, relig ...
east to
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
.
[Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.]
''Asphodeline'' has fleshy roots and fragrant, starry
flowers
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
that are yellow in May to June. It grows up to 4 ft in well-drained soil. Its foliage is
blue-green
Blue-green is the color that is between green and blue. It belongs to the cyan family of colors.
Variations Cyan (aqua)
Cyan, also called aqua, is the blue-green color that is between blue and green on a modern RGB color wheel.
The ...
and grassy, with tall, narrow flower spikes. It takes at least three years before newly planted seedlings flower. The yellow flowers always make an interesting addition to the late-spring garden. The individual flowers on the spikes open in a seemingly random order, and do not last long, being replaced quickly by other flowers.
;Species
# ''
Asphodeline anatolica''
Tuzlaci - Turkey
# ''
Asphodeline baytopiae''
Tuzlaci - Turkey, Syria
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Asphodeline brevicaulis''
(Bertol.) J.Gay ex Baker - from Greece to Iran
# ''
Asphodeline cilicica''
Tuzlaci - Turkey
# ''
Asphodeline damascena''
(Boiss.) Baker - Turkey, Syria
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Asphodeline globifera''
J.Gay ex Baker - Turkey, Syria
# ''
Asphodeline liburnica''
(Scop.) Rchb. - Italy, southern Balkans, Aegean
# ''
Asphodeline lutea
''Asphodeline lutea'' (king's spear, yellow asphodel) is a perennial plant native to southeastern Europe, northern Africa, the Caucasus and the Levant. It is grown as a landscaping plant.
It has been associated with the Asphodel of the underw ...
''
(L.) Rchb. - from Albania to Turkey
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Asphodeline peshmeniana''
Tuzlaci - Turkey
# ''
Asphodeline prismatocarpa''
J.Gay ex Boiss. - Turkey
# ''
Asphodeline prolifera''
(M.Bieb.) Kunth - Caucasus, Iran, Turkey
# ''
Asphodeline recurva''
Post - Turkey, Syria, Jordan
# ''
Asphodeline rigidifolia''
(Boiss. & Heldr.) Baker - Turkey
# ''
Asphodeline sertachiae''
Tuzlaci - Turkey
# ''
Asphodeline taurica''
(Pall. ex M.Bieb.) Endl. - from Albania to Caucasus
# ''
Asphodeline tenuior''
(Fisch. ex M.Bieb.) Ledeb. - Caucasus, Iran, Turkey
# ''
Asphodeline turcica''
Tuzlaci - Turkey
References
Asphodeloideae
Taxa named by Ludwig Reichenbach
{{Asphodelaceae-stub