Asphodelus ramosus

For other uses, see Asphodel (disambiguation).

Asphodelus ramosus
Blooming in Sicily.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asphodelaceae
Subfamily: Asphodeloideae
Genus: Asphodelus
Species:
A. ramosus
Binomial name
Asphodelus ramosus
Synonyms

Asphodelus microcarpus Viv.

Asphodelus ramosus, the branched asphodel, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the order Asparagales. Similar in appearance to Asphodelus albus and particularly Asphodelus cerasiferus and Asphodelus aestivus, it may be distinguished by its highly branched stem and smaller fruits.[1][2] There has been a lot of confusion over the nomenclature and taxonomy of the species, owing to its similarity to Asphodelus aestivus.[3][4]

Asphodelus ramosus is native to the Mediterranean region of southern Europe, northern Africa, and the Middle East. It can also be found in the Canary Islands.[5][6][7][8][9] It is particularly common in coastal areas of the Mediterranean with intensive grazing and occasional fire. In some areas it shows an affinity for acidic soils, mainly schist. It can form abundant colonies, usually flowering in February to May.[10][1] It has been thought to be Homer's asphodel of the underworld,[11] but so has the closely related Asphodeline lutea. The branched asphodel is known to contain colchicine, a chemical used in the treatment of gout.[citation needed]

  1. ^ a b Altervista Flora Italiana, Asphodelus ramosus includes photos plus European distribution map
  2. ^ Lectotypification of Asphodelus ramosus (Asphodelaceae), a Misunderstood Linnaean Name
  3. ^ Lifante, Zoila Díaz; Valdés, Benito (1994). "Lectotypification of Asphodelus ramosus (Asphodelaceae), a Misunderstood Linnaean Name". Taxon. 43 (2): 247–251. doi:10.2307/1222883. JSTOR 1222883.
  4. ^ "Vascular plants of Greece: an annotated checklist", Englera 31, Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem, retrieved 2018-03-04
  5. ^ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  6. ^ Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  7. ^ Davis, P.H. (ed.) (1984). Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands 8: 1-632. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.
  8. ^ "The Euro+Med PlantBase", the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity, Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem, retrieved 2018-03-04
  9. ^ "Plants of the World Online", the reference for global plant names, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2020-08-11
  10. ^ "Flora of Israel Online", Analytical Flora, The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens, retrieved 2020-08-11
  11. ^ Anonymous (May–October 1887). "Homer the botanist". Macmillan's Magazine. 56. London: Macmillan and Company: 428–436. Retrieved 3 November 2014.