Taxon: Asparagus racemosus Willd.

Summary

Genus:

Asparagus

Family:

Asparagaceae

Subfamily:

Asparagoideae

Nomen number:

5540

Place of publication:

Sp. pl. 2(1):152. 1799

Protologue link:

https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/613045

Verified:

04/16/1996 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

15 (5 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 racemosus (Willd.) Oberm.

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
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 racemosus (Willd.) Oberm.
Bopana, N. & S. Saxena. 2007. Asparagus racemosus - Ethnopharmacological evaluation and conservation needs. J. Ethnopharmacol. 110:1-15.
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India. 1985. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials and industrial products. Raw materials (revised edition). 1:470-471.
Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Dyer, R. A. et al., eds. 1963-. Flora of southern Africa. Note: = Protasparagus racemosus (Willd.) Oberm.
Fellingham, A. C. & N. L. Meyer. 1995. New combinations and a complete list of Asparagus species in southern Africa (Asparagaceae). Bothalia 25:208.
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.
George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia. Note: = Protasparagus racemosus (Willd.) Oberm.
Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
González Castañón, M. L. & A. Falavigna. 2008. Asparagus germplasm and interspecific hybridization. Acta Hort. 776:320, 325.
Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Kanno, A. & J. Yokoyama. 2011. Chapter 3. Asparagus. In: Kole, C., ed., Wild crop relatives: genomic and breeding resources, vegetables 23-42. Note: mentions
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. 124:345-354. Note: this study evaluated 23 species of Asparagus; it found A. racemosus within a weakly supported clade of members of subgenus Protoasparagus, all hermaphroditic species, and with crossing incompatibilities with A. officinalis
Malcomber, S. T. & D. Sebsebe. 1993. The status of Protasparagus and Myrsiphyllum in the Asparagaceae. Kew Bull. 48:68, 77.
Matthew, K. M. 1983. The flora of the Tamilnadu Carnatic.
McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Obermeyer, A. A. 1983. Protasparagus Oberm., nom. nov.: new combinations. S. African J. Bot. 2:244. Note: = Protasparagus racemosus (Willd.) Oberm.
Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	asparagus-fern	1	Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
India	shatamuli	2	Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
India	shatavari	2	Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Kenya			Kanno, A. & J. Yokoyama. 2011. Chapter 3. Asparagus. In: Kole, C., ed., Wild crop relatives: genomic and breeding resources, vegetables 23-42. Note: mentions
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Tanzania			Kanno, A. & J. Yokoyama. 2011. Chapter 3. Asparagus. In: Kole, C., ed., Wild crop relatives: genomic and breeding resources, vegetables 23-42. Note: mentions
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Eritrea			Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Ethiopia			Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Somalia			Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Sudan			Kanno, A. & J. Yokoyama. 2011. Chapter 3. Asparagus. In: Kole, C., ed., Wild crop relatives: genomic and breeding resources, vegetables 23-42. Note: mentions
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Angola			Kanno, A. & J. Yokoyama. 2011. Chapter 3. Asparagus. In: Kole, C., ed., Wild crop relatives: genomic and breeding resources, vegetables 23-42. Note: mentions
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Mozambique			Kanno, A. & J. Yokoyama. 2011. Chapter 3. Asparagus. In: Kole, C., ed., Wild crop relatives: genomic and breeding resources, vegetables 23-42. Note: mentions
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	Botswana			Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	Eswatini			Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	Namibia			Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Eastern Cape		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	KwaZulu-Natal		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Limpopo		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Mpumalanga		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Madagascar			Kanno, A. & J. Yokoyama. 2011. Chapter 3. Asparagus. In: Kole, C., ed., Wild crop relatives: genomic and breeding resources, vegetables 23-42. Note: mentions
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Bhutan			Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Nepal			Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Pakistan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Sri Lanka			Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	India	Andaman and Nicobar Islands		Parrotta, J. A. 2001. Healing plants of peninsular India CABI International, Wallingford, United Kingdom.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Myanmar			Kanno, A. & J. Yokoyama. 2011. Chapter 3. Asparagus. In: Kole, C., ed., Wild crop relatives: genomic and breeding resources, vegetables 23-42. Note: mentions
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Indonesia	Jawa		Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Indonesia	Lesser Sunda Islands		Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Indonesia	Maluku		Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Malaysia		Malaya	Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Northern Territory	n.	George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia. Note: = Protasparagus racemosus (Willd.) Oberm.
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Queensland	n.	George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia. Note: = Protasparagus racemosus (Willd.) Oberm.
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Western Australia	n.	George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia. Note: = Protasparagus racemosus (Willd.) Oberm.

Native
Africa

NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia
EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania
SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Botswana, Namibia, Eswatini, South Africa [KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga]
WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Madagascar

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan
INDO-CHINA: India [Andaman and Nicobar Islands], Myanmar
MALESIA: Indonesia [Jawa, Lesser Sunda Islands, Maluku], Malaysia (Malaya)

Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia [Queensland (n.), Western Australia (n.), Northern Territory (n.)]

Reference(s)

Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia. Note: = Protasparagus racemosus (Willd.) Oberm.
Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
Kanno, A. & J. Yokoyama. 2011. Chapter 3. Asparagus. In: Kole, C., ed., Wild crop relatives: genomic and breeding resources, vegetables 23-42. Note: mentions
Parrotta, J. A. 2001. Healing plants of peninsular India CABI International, Wallingford, United Kingdom.
Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Medicines	folklore		Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Medicines	folklore		McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.

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=5540. Accessed 17 April 2026.