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Key to families | Table of families and genera

This text currently parallels The Jepson Manual: Vascular Plants of California, Second Edition that is now available at the University of California Press.

Text appearing in blue on this page will not appear in the printed book; it will be displayed only on the Web. Specimen numbers are hyperlinked to records in the Consortium of California Herbaria data view where possible. Taxa are hyperlinked to entries in the Jepson Interchange via the "[Online Interchange]" link.

 

ASPHODELACEAE ASPHODEL FAMILY

Dale W. McNeal


Annual, perennial herb, shrub [ tree], fleshy or not, rhizomed.
Stem: branched or not.
Leaf: basal or ± so or in terminal clusters, alternate, linear to widely lanceolate [ ovate], small (1.5–27 cm, 0.5–3 mm wide) [to large (1.9–4 m, 3–6 cm wide)], leathery or not, fleshy or not, entire or with minute sharp teeth or coarse prickles.
Inflorescence: panicle [ spike, raceme], bracts scattered.
Flower: perianth parts 6, in 2 petal-like whorls, radial or ± bilateral, free or ± fused; stamens 6, equal or not, anthers attached at base or middle; ovary superior, chambers 3.
Fruit: capsule, loculicidal.
Seed: 6–many, flat, angled, or winged, gray, brown, ± black, black-brown.
± 17 genera, 800 species: Africa, Medit to c Asia. —Scientific Editor: Thomas J. Rosatti.

Key to Asphodelaceae

1. Lvs fleshy, margins with coarse prickles ..... ALOE

1' Lvs not or ± fleshy, margins entire or with minute sharp teeth

2. Fls 25–50 mm; perianth parts fused >> 1/2, red and yellow ..... KNIPHOFIA

2' Fls 5–12 mm; perianth parts ± free or fused < 1/2, white, ± pink, or yellow

3. Fls white or ± pink ..... ASPHODELUS

3' Fls yellow ..... [BULBINE]

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Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].
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