Asparagus officinalis L. subsp. officinalis

Posted byTrajche DimitrovskiPosted inAsparagaceae, Plant families

Taxonomy: Fam. Asparagaceae// Genus: Asparagus/ Species: Asparagus officinalis L.// Subspecies: Asparagus officinalis L. subsp. officinalis.

The classification is given according to The Euro+Med Planbase (source: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, 2010).

Determined according to the botanical key provided by Valdés (1980 in Tutin et al.).

Lifeform: Rhizomatous perennial. Hemicryptophyte- rhizome geophyte according to the  Raunkiær system.

Distribution: Asparagus officinalis L. is native from Europe to West Siberia, Mongolia and Pakistan according to the distribution information provided by the Plants of the World Online portal (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew).

Habitat: Edges and clearings of forests in the zone of downy oak- oriental hornbeam community (Querco-carpinetum orientalis macedonicum association).

Flowering period: Late spring: MAY.

Locality: ridge between Lake Gradche and the Orizarska River, near Gorno Gradche. Date: 07.05.2022.

Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – habit in habitat. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 07.05.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – habit in habitat. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 07.05.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – habit. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 07.05.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – habit. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 07.05.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – habit. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 07.05.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – stem with branches and flowers. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 07.05.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – stem with branches and flowers. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 07.05.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – stem with branches and flowers. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 07.05.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – flower. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 07.05.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – flower. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 07.05.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – flower. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 07.05.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – main stem and branch, leaf with spur and flower buds. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 07.05.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – developing stem. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 07.05.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – main stem with leaf. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 07.05.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

Locality: ridge between Lake Gradche and the Orizarska River, near Gorno Gradche. Date: 16.05.2021.

Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – habit. Osogovo, mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 16.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – branch with flower buds and cladodes. Osogovo, mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 16.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – habit during fruiting. Osogovo, mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 16.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – fruiting branches. Osogovo, mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 16.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus maritimus – officinalis subsp. officinalis. Osogovo, mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 16.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – branches with fruits and cladodes. Osogovo, mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 16.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

Locality: ridge between Lake Gradche and the Orizarska River, near Gorno Gradche. Date: 13.06.2020.

Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – habit. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 13.06.2020. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus maritimus – officinalis subsp. officinalis. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 13.06.2020. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – fruiting plant. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 13.06.2020. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – fruiting plant. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 13.06.2020. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – base of main stem. Mountain ridge between lake “Gradche” and the gorge of “Orizarska” River, 13.06.2020. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis (close-up). A: cladodes; B: fruits. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis (close-up). A: cladodes; B: fruits. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis (close-up): branch with cladodes. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

Locality: Gorge of the Kochanska River. Date: 16.10.2022.

Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – habit during fruiting. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – habit. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – branches with fruits and cladodes. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – branches with fruits and cladodes. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – branches with fruits and cladodes. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – fruit. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

Locality: village of Istibanja region. Date: 22.04.2024.

Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – habit. Osogovo – near village of istibanja, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – habit. Osogovo – near village of istibanja, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – flowering stem. Osogovo – near village of istibanja, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – flowering stem. Osogovo – near village of istibanja, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – flowers. Osogovo – near village of istibanja, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – flowers. Osogovo – near village of istibanja, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – flowers. Osogovo – near village of istibanja, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – flowers. Osogovo – near village of istibanja, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – cladodes. Osogovo – near village of istibanja, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – cladodes. Osogovo – near village of istibanja, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – main stem with leaves. Osogovo – near village of istibanja, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – main stem with leaves. Osogovo – near village of istibanja, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – stem with leaf. Osogovo – near village of istibanja, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – stem with leaf. Osogovo – near village of istibanja, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis – stem with leaf. Osogovo – near village of istibanja, 16.10.2022. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

References:

Asparagus officinalis L. Plants of the World Online portal, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:531191-1 [Accessed 11.12.2022].

Asparagus officinalis subsp. officinalis. The Euro+Med Plantbase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Published on the Internet https://europlusmed.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/04c6462e-6a4f-42d2-b231-00ee86133812 [Accessed 11.12.2022].

Valdés, B. 1980. Asparagus L. Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V.H., Burges, N.A., Moore, D.M., Valentine, D.H., Walters, S.M. & Webb, D.A. (eds.), Flora Europaea. Volume 5. Alismataceae to Orchidaceae (Monocotyledones). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 71–73.

Last update: 24.03.2026.