(403.) 
ASPA'llAGUS* 
Linnean Class and Order. Hexa'ndria f, Monogy'nia. 
Natural Order. Aspuode'le.eJ, Dr. R. Brown . — Lind. Syn. 
p. 260'. ; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 273. — Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 
539. — Mack. FI. Hib. p. 284. — Hook. Brit. FI. (4th ed.) p. 423. — 
Asparagi, sect. i. Juss. Gen. PI. p. 40. — Sm. Gram. ofBot. p. 71. — 
Asparagine.®, sect. i. Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 402. — Asparage.e, 
Macr. Man. Brit. Bot. p.233. — Liliales; sect. Liliacin.e; type, 
Aspiiodelace.e ; Burn. Outl. of Bot. v. i. pp. 4 1 8, 425, & 427. — 
Sarmentace.e, Linn . 
Gen. Ciiar. Calyx none. Corolla ( perianthium§J (see figs. 
1 & 2.) inferior, of 6 deep, equal, oblong, spreading, deciduous 
petals, combined at the base. Filaments (see fig. 2.) 6, awl-shaped, 
smooth, inserted at the base of the petals, and much shorter than 
them. Anthers peltate, upright. Germen (fig. 3.) globular. Style 
short, with 3 furrows. Stigma in 3 spreading lobes, deciduous. 
Berry (see figs. 4, 5, & 6.) globular, of 1, 2, or 3 cells, and few 
seeds. Seeds (fig. 7.) externally globose, with a horny albumen , 
and a transverse embryo, far out of the centre. 
The inferior, deeply 6-parted corolla ; the globose, 1-to 3-celled, 
few-seeded berry ; and the short style, with a 3-lobed stigma ; will 
distinguish this from other genera, without a calyx, in the same 
class and order. 
One species British. 
ASPA'RAGliS OFFICINA'LIS. Common Asparagus. Sperage. 
Spec. Char. Stem herbaceous, round, upright, without prickles. 
Leaves bristle-shaped, fasciculate, flexible. Peduncles jointed in 
the middle. 
Engl. Bot. t. 339. — FI. Dan. t. 805. — Linn. Sp. PI. p. 448 — Iluds. FI. Angl. 
(2nd edit.) p. 145. — Willd. Sp. PI. v. ii. pt. I. p. 150. — Sm. FI. Brit. v. i. p. 369.; 
Engl. FI. v. ii. p. 152. — With. (7th edit.) v. ii. p. 432. — Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 
185. — Lindl. Syn. p. 267. — lluok. Br. FI. p. 158. — Macr. Man. Brit. Bot. p. 233. — 
Davies’ Welsh Bot. p. 33. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 103. — Grev. FI. Edin. p. 77. — FI. 
Devon, pp. 59 & 129. — Bryant’s FI. Diset. p. 52. — Phil. Cult. Veg. (new edit.) 
P- 27. — Walker’s FI. of Oxf. p. 95. — Loud. Encyl. of Gard. (1835) p. 847. paragr. 
4260 — Bab. Prim. FI. Sara, p 94. — Irv. Loud. FI. p. 107. — Asparagus, Ray’s 
Syn. p. 267. — Asparagus sativus, Johnson’s Gerardo, p. 1110. — Mill. Icon. p. 37. 
t. 55. f. 1. 
Lora r.iriKS. — On the sea- coast, in sand y or stony pi aces. — Cornwall ; Mu 1 1 ion 
Island, near the Lizard I’oint, and hence the largest pyramidal mass of Serpen- 
tine rock, in Kynance Cove, is called Asparagus lslmd: Dr. Withering. — 
Devon ; Hanks of the Kxe, between l opsham and Lympslone : Miss Filmo he, 
Fig. 1. A Flower.- — Fig. 2. A Flower opened longitudinally, showing the six 
stamens. — Fig. 3. Germen. — Fig. 4. A Berry. — Fig. 5. A transverse section of 
ditto, showing the Seeds. — Fig 6. The same with the seeds removed. — Fig. 7. A 
Seed. — Fig. 8. A Seedwith the testa removed, showing the situation of the embryo. — 
Fig. 9. A transverse section of the/albumen, with the embryo. — Fig. 10. Embryo 
separate. 
’ Fron Asparagos, Gr. ; a term originally applied to all tender shoots of plants. 
WmiuiiMi. 
t See folio 33, note +. 
i See folio 41, a. 
1 See folio 33, note {. 
