General description:- Perennial herbs, often with bulbs, corms, rhizomes or tuberous roots; sometimes climbers, rarely annuals or small shrubs.

Flowers:- Usually in racemes or panicles, more rarely solitary or in cymes or umbels, regular or slightly zygomorphic, usually hermaphrodite. Perianth of two whorls, each of (2-)3(-5) usually petaloid segments, free or variously joined margin to margin (connate). Stamens usually as many as perianth-segments, free or connate. Ovary with 3 compartments (3-locular), centre and above the other flower parts (superior) (very rarely 1-locular or semi-inferior); styles 1 or 3(-5).

Fruit:- A capsule that when a ripe splits into the cells, i.e. splits not at the lines of junction between the compartments (locules) (loculicidal) or splits along the lines of junction of the carpels, i.e. along the septa, the fruit valves remaining attached and not falling off (septicidal).


Genus:- ASPARAGUS

General description:- Rhizomatous perennials with usually fusiform tubers.

Stems:- Sometimes over-wintering.

Cladodes:- In close bundles (fasciculate) or solitary, in the axils of reduced,  thin and dry, (scarious) leaves.

Leaves:- Usually with a spiny basal spur. Pedicels articulate, usually bracteolate at the base. Perianth bell-shaped (campanulate) to rotate, the 6 segments shortly joined margin to margin (connate) at the base. Stamens 6, inserted at the base of the perianth-segments; anthers usually about as long as filaments.

Fruit:- A globose berry, with 1-6 seeds.