Asparagales

Asparagales is an order of flowering plants within the monocots. It is a large and diverse group that includes several well-known families and a wide range of growth forms, from bulbs and rhizomes to herbaceous perennials.

The order includes prominent families such as Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae, Iridaceae, and Orchidaceae, among others. Orchidaceae, the orchid family, is one of the largest families of flowering plants in the world. Amaryllidaceae contains many bulbous plants such as daffodils and snowdrops, while Asparagaceae is a broad family that encompasses a variety of ornamentals as well as crops, including onions and asparagus in various subgroups. Iridaceae comprises the irises and related genera. The diversity of life histories and morphologies across these families is extensive, with adaptations ranging from epiphytic orchids to terrestrial bulbs.

Asparagales has a worldwide distribution, with exceptionally high species richness in tropical and subtropical regions, though members occur in nearly all habitats. Many species are valued horticulturally for flowers and foliage, and several include important food crops or crop relatives. Morphological traits across the order vary, but molecular phylogenetic studies have supported Asparagales as a coherent, monophyletic group within the monocots, helping to clarify the relationships among its component families.

Systematic classifications have evolved with advances in molecular data, leading to circumscription changes that affect families such as Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae, and Asphodelaceae in some schemes. Despite ongoing revisions, Asparagales remains a major and recognizable lineage of flowering plants with substantial ecological and economic significance.