Asphodelaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Asparagales. This family is accepted by most taxonomists, but the circumscription has varied widely. In its current circumscription in the APG IV system, it includes about 40 genera and 900 known species. The type genus is Asphodelus.
The family has a wide, but scattered, distribution throughout the tropics and temperate zones; for example, Xanthorrhoea is endemic to Australia, while Aloe occurs in Africa and parts of the Arabian Peninsula. Many of the family's genera are cultivated as ornamental plants, with some being highly sought-after, such as Haworthia and Gasteria, as well as their intergeneric hybrids with Aloe (× Gasteraloe, × Gastorthia, × Haworthaloe, etc.), while a few are grown commercially for cut flowers. Two species of Aloe, A. vera and A. maculata, are grown for their leaf sap, which contains digestive enzymes, and has medicinal and cosmetic applications.
Description
Members of the Asphodelaceae are diverse, with few characters uniting the three subfamilies currently accepted. The presence of anthraquinones is one common character. The flowers (the inflorescence) are typically borne on a leafless stalk (scape) which arises from a basal rosette of leaves. The individual flowers have jointed stalks (pedicels). A disk of woody tissue (a hypostase) is present at the base of the ovule.
The subfamily Xanthorrhoeoideae contains only the genus Xanthorrhoea, native to Australia. Plants typically develop thick woody stems; the flowers are arranged in a dense spike. Members of the subfamily Asphodeloideae are often leaf succulents, such as aloes and haworthias, although the subfamily also includes popular garden perennials such as red hot pokers (Kniphofia). Members of the subfamily Hemerocallidoideae are varied in habit. Daylilies (Hemerocallis) are one of the widely grown members of this subfamily.
Systematics
The order Asparagales can be divided into a basal paraphyletic group, the "lower Asparagales",...
