Asparagus -100-300 species native to Eurasia
Characteriszed by matted or tuberous rootstocks and well branched stems. Leaves are reduced to scales with branchelts reduced to cladophylls in the leaf axils. Bisexual or unisexual flowers are borne at the base of  the branches. The 6 segments of the periant may be separate or united at the base. The berries are red or balck. Staminate plants are typically smaller and denser.

A. acutifolius -Mediterranean region
          
            Wirey, well-branched stems grow to 2 m high and are woody at the base
           
             Leaves triangular, spurred, cladophylls clustered, to 6 mm long
       
             Berries black, single seeded


A. filicinus -Himalayas

            Flexose, smooth, and hollow stems to 1.5 m high
               
            Leaves not spurred

            Flowers paired on long stalks

            Berries black, 4 mm thick


A. officianlis - "Common Asparagus" -Europe

            Upright strongly branched stems to 1.5 m high

            Leaves slightly spurred at base

            Cladophylls to 25 mm long

            Staminate flowers to 6 mm long, pistillate flowers smaller

            Berries red, 8 mm thick


A. teniufolius - S. Europe and central France

            Stems erect and angular

            Leaves not spurred, cladophylls filamentous, to 18 mm long

            Berries globose, to bright red, to 12 mm thick


A. verticillatus -Balkcan Peninsula and the Caucasus to Siberia

            Roots long and fleshy from a woody rootstock

            Stems to 2.5 m high, slightly twining, flexose, well-branched

            Leaves triangular at the base, spurred

            Berries black, to 8 mm thick


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