Taxon:  Asparagus virgatus Baker



Summary
Genus:
Asparagus
Family:
Asparagaceae
Subfamily:
Asparagoideae
Nomen number:
5560
Place of publication:
W. W. Saunders, Refug. bot. 3: t. 214.  1870
Verified:
09/06/1995 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
8 (3  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 virgatus (Baker) Oberm.

No images


Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
  2. 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 virgatus (Baker) Oberm
  3. 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.
  4. Bingham, M. et al. Flora of Zambia (on-line resource).
  5. Dyer, R. A. et al., eds. 1963-. Flora of southern Africa. Note: = Protasparagus virgatus (Baker) Oberm
  6. Fellingham, A. C. & N. L. Meyer. 1995. New combinations and a complete list of Asparagus species in southern Africa (Asparagaceae). Bothalia 25:208.
  7. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  8. Jessop, J. P. 1966. The genus Asparagus in southern Africa. Bothalia 9:53.
  9. Kanno, A. & J. Yokoyama. 2011. Chapter 3. Asparagus. In: Kole, C., ed., Wild crop relatives: genomic and breeding resources, vegetables 23-42.
  10. 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.
  11. Malcomber, S. T. & D. Sebsebe. 1993. The status of Protasparagus and Myrsiphyllum in the Asparagaceae. Kew Bull. 48:68, 78.
  12. Stajner, N. et al. 2002. Genetic variability of economically important Asparagus species as revealed by genome size analysis and rDNA ITS polymorphisms. Pl. Sci. (Elsevier) 162:931-937.
  13. Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
Common names
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania  PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMozambique  PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZambia  Bingham, M. et al. Flora of Zambia (on-line resource).
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaEswatini  Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaNamibia  Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
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 AfricaMpumalanga Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaNorthern 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 AfricaNorth-West Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAsia-TemperateArabian PeninsulaYemen  Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaQueenslands.e.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.
Native
Africa
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Tanzania
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Mozambique, Zambia
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: Namibia, Eswatini, South Africa [KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West]
Asia-Temperate
  • ARABIAN PENINSULA: Yemen
Naturalized
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia [Queensland (s.e.)]

Reference(s)
  1. PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
  2. 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.
  3. Bingham, M. et al. Flora of Zambia (on-line resource).
  4. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  5. Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalornamental 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.
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=5560. Accessed 17 April 2026.