Taxon:  Asparagus plumosus Baker



Summary
Genus:
Asparagus
Family:
Asparagaceae
Subfamily:
Asparagoideae
Nomen number:
5536
Place of publication:
J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 14:613.  1875
Verified:
04/16/1996 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
9 (0  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Homotypic Synonym(s)
Protasparagus plumosus (Baker) Oberm.

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Asparagus comorensis hort.

Invalid Designation(s)
Asparagus setaceus auct. nonn.
No images


Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. Agnew, A. D. Q. 1974. Upland Kenya wild flowers: a flora of the ferns and herbaceous flowering plants of upland Kenya. Note: = Asparagus setaceus (Kunth) Jessop
  3. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  4. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  5. Arnold, T. H. & B. C. De Wet, eds. 1993. Plants of southern Africa: names and distribution. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa no. 62 Note: = Protasparagus plumosus (Baker) Oberm.
  6. Australian Government Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Weeds in Australia (on-line resource).
  7. Batchelor, K. L. & J. K. Scott. 2006. Review of the current taxonomic status and authorship for Asparagus weeds in Australia. Pl. Protect. Quart. 21:129.
  8. Bosser, J. M. et al., eds. 1976-. Flores des Mascareignes. Note: = Asparagus setaceus (Kunth) Jessop
  9. Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae. Note: = Asparagus setaceus (Kunth) Jessop
  10. Dyer, R. A. et al., eds. 1963-. Flora of southern Africa. Note: = Protasparagus plumosus (Baker) Oberm.
  11. Erhardt, W. et al. 2000. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 16. Auflage Note: = Asparagus setaceus (Kunth) Jessop
  12. Fellingham, A. C. & N. L. Meyer. 1995. New combinations and a complete list of Asparagus species in southern Africa (Asparagaceae). Bothalia 25:208.
  13. Fukuda, T. et al. 2005. Molecular phylogeny of the genus Asparagus (Asparagaceae) inferred from plastid petB intron and petD-rpoA intergeneric spacer sequences. Pl. Species Biol. 20:121-132.
  14. George, A. S., ed. 1994. Flora of Australia. 49:505.
  15. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  16. González Castañón, M. L. & A. Falavigna. 2008. Asparagus germplasm and interspecific hybridization. Acta Hort. 776:325.
  17. Huttleston, D. G. 1970. The names of three commonly cultivated ornamental asparaguses (Liliaceae). Baileya 17:59. Note: = Asparagus setaceus (Kunth) Jessop
  18. Imada, C. T. et al. 2000. New Hawaiian records for 1999. Occas. Pap. Bernice Pauahi Bishop Mus. 63:13.
  19. Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
  20. Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
  21. Kubota, S. et al. 2012. Molecular phylogeny of the genus Asparagus (Asparagaceae) explains interspecific crossability between the garden asparagus (A. officinalis) and other Asparagus species. Theor. Appl. Genet. 124:351. Note: this study evaluated 23 species of Asparagus; it found A. plumosus within a weakly supported clade of members of subgenus Protoasparagus, all hermaphroditic species, and with crossing incompatibilities with A. officinalis
  22. Lebrun, J. P. & A. L. Stork. 1991-. Énumération des plantes à fleurs d'Afrique tropicale. Note: Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève
  23. Obermeyer, A. A. 1983. Protasparagus Oberm., nom. nov.: new combinations. S. African J. Bot. 2:244. Note: = Protasparagus plumosus (Baker) Oberm.
  24. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  25. White, F. 1962. Forest flora of Northern Rhodesia.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishasparagus-fern  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada Note: as Asparagus setaceus
Englishclimbing asparagus-fern  1FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America. Note: as Asparagus setaceus
Englishferny asparagus  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Englishlace-fern  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada Note: as Asparagus setaceus
Chinesewen zhu文竹as Asparagus setaceus2Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition). Note: as Asparagus setaceus
Frenchasperge plumeuse  2Demilly, D. et al. 1996. Liste alphabétique des principales espèces de plantes cultivées et de mauvaises herbes. Noms latins et noms français, ed. 6. Note: as Asparagus setaceus
GermanFarn-Spargel  2Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 2:1224. Note: lists as Asparagus setaceus (Kunth) Jessop as Asparagus setaceus
GermanFeder-Spargel  2Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 2:1224. Note: lists as Asparagus setaceus (Kunth) Jessop as Asparagus setaceus
Swedishfjädersparris  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaKenya  Agnew, A. D. Q. 1974. Upland Kenya wild flowers: a flora of the ferns and herbaceous flowering plants of upland Kenya. Note: = Asparagus setaceus (Kunth) Jessop
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZambia   
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaEastern Cape Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaFree State Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaGauteng Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaKwaZulu-Natal Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaLimpopo Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaNorth-West Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaWestern Cape Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
2Cultivated    also cult. 
4NaturalizedAfricaMacaronesiaSpainCanarias Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustralia  Batchelor, K. L. & J. K. Scott. 2006. Review of the current taxonomic status and authorship for Asparagus weeds in Australia. Pl. Protect. Quart. 21:129.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaNew ZealandNew Zealand  Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
4NaturalizedNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesFlorida FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4NaturalizedNorthern AmericaSouthwestern U.S.A.United StatesCalifornia FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4NaturalizedPacificNorth-Central PacificUnited StatesHawaii Imada, C. T. et al. 2000. New Hawaiian records for 1999. Occas. Pap. Bernice Pauahi Bishop Mus. 63:13.
4NaturalizedPacificSouth-Central PacificCook Islands  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedPacificSouth-Central PacificFrench Polynesia  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedPacificSouthwestern PacificTonga  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanGuadeloupe  Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanJamaica  Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanMartinique  Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanSt. Kitts and Nevis  Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanSt. Lucia  Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanUnited StatesPuerto Rico Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. 2000. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis, ed. 2.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaSouthern South AmericaArgentina  Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaEcuador  Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
Native
Africa
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Zambia
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: South Africa [Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North-West, Western Cape]
Cultivated (also cult.)
Naturalized
Africa
  • MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias]
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia
  • NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand
Northern America
  • SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Florida]
  • SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [California]
Pacific
  • NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]
  • SOUTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: Cook Islands, French Polynesia
  • SOUTHWESTERN PACIFIC: Tonga
Southern America
  • CARIBBEAN: Guadeloupe, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Martinique, United States [Puerto Rico]
  • WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Ecuador
  • SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina

Reference(s)
  1. Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
  2. Agnew, A. D. Q. 1974. Upland Kenya wild flowers: a flora of the ferns and herbaceous flowering plants of upland Kenya. Note: = Asparagus setaceus (Kunth) Jessop
  3. Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
  4. Batchelor, K. L. & J. K. Scott. 2006. Review of the current taxonomic status and authorship for Asparagus weeds in Australia. Pl. Protect. Quart. 21:129.
  5. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
  6. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  7. Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
  8. Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
  9. Imada, C. T. et al. 2000. New Hawaiian records for 1999. Occas. Pap. Bernice Pauahi Bishop Mus. 63:13.
  10. Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
  11. Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
  12. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
  13. Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
  14. Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. 2000. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis, ed. 2.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalornamentalas Asparagus setaceusLiberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada Note: as Asparagus setaceus
Environmentalornamentalas Asparagus setaceusHuxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening Note: as Asparagus setaceus
Environmentalornamentalas Asparagus setaceusWalters, S. M. et al., eds. 1986-2000. European garden flora. Note: as Asparagus setaceus
Environmentalornamentalas Protasparagus plumosusDyer, R. A. et al., eds. 1963-. Flora of southern Africa. Note: as Protasparagus plumosus
Weedseed contaminantpotential; as Asparagus setaceusKeighery, G. 1996. Native, naturalized and cultivated Asparagaceae in Western Australia. Pl. Protect. Quart. 11(2):49-50. Note: as Asparagus setaceus
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=5536. Accessed 15 April 2026.