ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Asparagus officinalis
 
 
 CLASS:    MONOCOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    LILIALES
 FAMILY:   LILIACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Asparagus officinalis
 AUTHORITY:  L.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    GARDEN ASPARAGUS
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: ASCF
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     FOREST
       THICKETS
     CULTURAL
       AGRICULTURAL FIELD
         FIELD DIVISION
       DEVELOPED LAND
 
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:
     NO
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 COUNTIES:
   ADAMS           ALEXANDER       BOONE           BUREAU          CARROLL
   CASS            CHAMPAIGN       CLARK           CLINTON         COLES
   COOK            CRAWFORD        CUMBERLAND      DEKALB          DOUGLAS
   DUPAGE          EDGAR           EDWARDS         EFFINGHAM       FAYETTE
   FORD            FRANKLIN        FULTON          GALLATIN        GREENE
   GRUNDY          HAMILTON        HANCOCK         HARDIN          HENDERSON
   IROQUOIS        JACKSON         JASPER          JEFFERSON       JERSEY
   JOHNSON         KANE            KANKAKEE        KENDALL         KNOX
   LAKE            LASALLE         LAWRENCE        LEE             MCDONOUGH
   MCHENRY         MCLEAN          MACON           MADISON         MARION
   MARSHALL        MASON           MASSAC          MENARD          MERCER
   MONROE          MORGAN          OGLE            PEORIA          PERRY
   PIATT           PIKE            POPE            PULASKI         RANDOLPH
   RICHLAND        ST. CLAIR       SALINE          SANGAMON        SCHUYLER
   STARK           STEPHENSON      TAZEWELL        UNION           VERMILION
   WABASH          WASHINGTON      WAYNE           WHITE           WHITESIDE
   WILL            WILLIAMSON      WINNEBAGO       WOODFORD
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Monocot
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    ROOTS:  Adventitious   (rhizomes)
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:    Whorled
    LEAF TYPE:   Simple
    LEAF MARGIN:   Entire
    LEAF VENATION:  Parallel
    LEAF SHAPE:     Linear     Other
    INFLORESCENCE:   Other
    FLOWER MEROUS:  3
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Complete   Regular
    FLOWER COLOR:   Yellow   Green   White
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Hypogynous
    FRUIT:   Berry
 
 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC COMMENTS:
     Species has small green-yellow flowers on slender stalks along branches
     followed in late summer by orange-red globular, few-seeded berries.
     Small brownish scales on stems are true leaves; threadlike;
     leafy clusters of scales are actually branchlet divisions.
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Introduced-  Europe
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Not listed
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Common
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 POPULATION STATUS COMMENTS:
     Species often escaped in waste places or along salt marshes;
     commonly species is cultivated in home gardens, grown commercially.
 
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Forb
     LIFE CYCLE:   Perennial
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual   Vegetative
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      5         MONTH END-      6
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     C02 FIXATION:  C3
     SEX:      Perfect
 
 BIOLOGIC COMMENTS:
     Berries are eaten by birds.
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     Species often escaped along railroads, roads, fields, wastes; distributed
     under scattered trees, and under utility wires; is a weed, but of an often
     fairly stable community.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:   No data entered
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:    No data entered
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:
     EDIBLE:  Yes
 
 
 HUMAN FACTOR COMMENTS:
     Wild plants are edible, but less tender than cultivated. Roasted
     seeds are used as coffee substitute (Medsger). Species may cause
     dermatitis for some people (Muenscher); roasted seeds may be
     poisonous.
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:
     FOOD VALUE:  No data entered
     COVER VALUE:  No data entered
 
 LIVESTOCK PALATABILITY DATA:
     CATTLE FORAGE: No data    SHEEP FORAGE:  No data    HORSE FORAGE:  No data
     GOAT FORAGE:   No data    ENERGY VALUE:  Low        PROTEIN VALUE: Low
     POISONOUS (LIVESTOCK):   Yes       -major
 
 LIVESTOCK COMMENTS:
     Dairy cattle have been poisoned when they have eaten large amounts
     of nearly mature plants.
 
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:
     WEEDINESS:   Non-weedy
 
 
 
 REFERENCES:
Mohlenbrock, R. H., ed.  1975.  Guide to the vascular flora of Illinois.
     Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.  494 pp.
Steyermark, J. A.  1963.  Flora of Missouri.  Iowa State University Press, Ames.
     1725 pp.
Swink, F., and G. S. Wilhelm.  1979.  Plants of the Chicago region.  Third ed.
     The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois.  922 pp.
Gleason, H. A.  1952.  The new Britton and Brown illustrated flora of the
     northeastern United States and adjacent Canada.  3 vols.  The New York
     Botanical Garden, New York.
Fernald, M. L., A. C. Kinsey, and R. C. Rollins.  1958.  Edible wild plants of
     eastern North America.  Harper and Brothers, New York.  452 pp.
 
 OTHER REFERENCES:
     Muenscher, W.C.L. 1939. Poisonous Plants of the United States. The
          Macmillan Co. N.Y., N.Y. 266 pp.
 
 END OF DATA FOR SPECIES  Asparagus officinalis
 
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 ILPIN was developed by Louis Iverson*, with data compiled by David Ketzner and Jeanne Karnes
 Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820
     *currently employed by USDA Forest Service, 359 Main Rd., Delaware, OH 43015