Its history goes back as far as that of the leek and has been consumed for over 2000 years. It’s native to the East Mediterranean area, cultivated form antiquity and now grown in much of the world. TAXONOMY AND ORIGIN The asparagus belongs to the Liliaceae family and its botanical name is Asparagus officinalis L. Family : Liliaceae : Genus : Asparagus: Species : A. officinalis: Scientific name : Asparagus officinalis: Common name : Asparagus : Green asparagus : White asparagus : The first vestiges of asparagus appeared in paintings on Egyptian monuments (3,000 b.c.). Before it made it's way to Germany it was cultivated in Ancient Rome. Known in Old English as eorðnafela. This garden plant originated in the eastern Mediterranean countries and traces of wild varieties have been discovered in Africa. This plant, in fact, contains asparagines which is known for it diuretic properties. Asparagus is the name of a genus of plants, a member of the family Asparagaceae (formerly placed in the Liliaceae ). Greeks and Romans ate it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use in winter. A green colour, like that of an asparagus. There are up to 300 species, all from the Old World, introduced in many countries in both hemispheres and throughout temperate and tropical regions. plant cultivated for its edible shoots, late 14c., aspergy; late Old English sparage, from Latin asparagus (in Medieval Latin often sparagus), from Greek asparagos/aspharagos, which is of uncertain origin; perhaps with euphonic a- + PIE root *sp(h)er(e)g- "to spring up," but Beekes suggests "it is rather a substrate word," based in part on the p/ph variation. asparagus fern a fernlike species of asparagus, A. plumosus, native to southern Africa Word Origin for asparagus C15: from Latin, from Greek asparagos, of obscure origin 1. any of a genus ( Asparagus) of plants of the lily family, with small, scalelike leaves, many flat or needlelike branches, and whitish flowers, including several plants (asparagus ferns) having fleshy roots and fine fernlike leaves. asparagus (plural asparagus or asparaguses or asparagusses or asparagi) Any of various perennial plants of the genus Asparagus having leaflike stems, scalelike leaves, and small flowers. Origin of tetraploid cultivated asparagus landraces inferred from nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacers' polymorphisms To discover the origin of these landraces, a phylogenetic study was conducted based on restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA). Archaeologists believe that it was also cultivated in Egypt. A distant cousin of the onion, the distinguished asparagus is also a member of the lilaceae family. Greeks and Romans ate it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use in winter. A. officinalis is widely known simply as "asparagus", and may be confused with unrelated plant species also known as "asparagus", such as Ornithogalum pyrenaicum known as "Prussian asparagus" for its edible shoots. Although the spears are of deep purple color, the ferns are actually green. It’s native to the East Mediterranean area, cultivated form antiquity and now grown in much of the world. Some medicinal benefits attributed to asparagus are that, when eaten before dinner, it refreshes and opens the liver, spleen and kidneys and helps those afflicted with the gravel, or who are scorbatic or dropsical. Non-scholars had trouble with asparagus and did what the medieval Latin writers had done — leave off the unstressed initial vowel, so making it sparagus again. Asparagus cultivation began 2000 years ago in eastern Mediterranean region. The postulated region of origin of asparagus comprises Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Siberia (Sturtevant, 1890) , where supposedly was domesticated. Starting in the 16th   century, asparagus was served in the royal courts of Europe and in the 17th century it was cultivated in France for Louis XIV who was, apparently, very fond of it. However, due to insufficient analyses or sampling, most recent treatments of the genus have reserved judgement as to its area of origin (e.g. Hippocrates, the ancient Greek doctor, used asparagus to treat diarrhoea and pains of the urethra. (əˈspærəgəs ; əˈspɛrəgəs ) noun. (noun) We have seen reference to the fact that at one point the greek … In ancient Greece, asparagus was considered to be a plant with sacred and aphrodisiac virtues and the Greeks were interested in its biological and pharmaceutical qualities. Asparagus, genus of the family Asparagaceae with up to 300 species native from Siberia to southern Africa. At first it was a spontaneous plant that grown sandy lands of the Eurasian continent. Its history goes back as far as that of the leek and has been consumed for over 2000 years. To discover the origin of these landraces, a phylogenetic study was conducted based on restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA). The Romans, for their part, appreciated the plants gastronomic qualities. Learn more. Caesar’s legions returning from the Orient brought the asparagus back to Europe. The word asparagus is rooted in Ancient Greek where the word aspharagos can be identified in various literature with two meanings. Asparagus wasn't always for the average German. Origin and production : Varieties : Availability : Packaging : Postharvest : Healthy effects : Recipes : Companies : Asparagus, Asparagus officinalis / Liliaceae. asparagus definition: 1. a plant with pale green, juicy stems that are cooked and eaten as a vegetable: 2. a plant with…. The drawings … Only in the 18th century did the asparagus make its appearance on the local marketplace and in numerous culinary works. Find your family's origin in the United States, average life expectancy, most common occupation, and more. ‘Morado de Huetor’ (MH) and ‘Violetto d’Albenga’ (VA) are tetraploid asparagus landraces (2n = 4× = 40) cultivated in Spain and Italy, respectively, and whose origin remains unknown. It is a perennial and monocotyledonous plant that is grown for its edible stems (spears). Food authenticity concerning the geographical origin becomes increasingly important for consumers, food industries, and food authorities. This garden plant originated in the eastern Mediterranean countries and traces of wild varieties have been discovered in Africa. A technique to determine the geographic origin of asparagus was examined using 64 samples from Japan and other countries. In Middle English, asperages sometimes was regarded as a plural, with false singular aspergy. Several African species are grown as ornamental plants. Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a perennial vegetable of the Lily family.Of Eurasian origin, asparagus was grown for food and medicinal purposes over 2000 years ago. The asparagus genome sheds light on the origin and evolution of a young Y chromosome Nat Commun. the word had been Englished as far as sperach, sperage. Today, green asparagus is found in America and China. A distant cousin of the onion, the distinguished asparagus is also a member of the lilaceae family. The population of asparagus has high heterogeneity because of its dioecious nature, and it is difficult and time consuming to produce inbred lines. It is thought that the asparagus is native to the river basins of Tigris and Euphrates. was the folk-etymologized variant sparrowgrass, during which time asparagus had "an air of stiffness and pedantry" [John Walker, "Critical Pronouncing Dictionary," 1791]. Everything name meaning, origin, pronunciation, numerology, popularity and more information about Asparagus at NAMEANING.NET The farmers in Albenga region propagate the plants using seeds from open pollination. By 16c. The tender young shoots of the plant Asparagus officinalis, eaten as a vegetable. Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) is a member of the Liliaceae family whose origin is believed to be the eastern Mediterranean and further east, in the Caucasus Mountains. Related: Asparaginous. 2012 © Les Cultures de Chez Nous. The genus Asparagus is widely distributed in the Old World, growing in semiarid to arid areas in Africa and Eurasia. History of Asparagus Asparagus name is derived from Greek word asparagos. plant whose succulent young shoots are cooked and eaten as a vegetable, edible young shoots of the asparagus plant. Asparagus: Meaning of Asparagus . Asparagus was largely forgotten during the Middle Ages but continued to be cultivated by the Arabs. But they went one step further, converting it by folk etymology into forms that seemed to make more sense, either sparagrass or sparrowgrass. It was not only delicious but it was a great medicinal treatment for almost any ailment. The first found in Homers Illiad is used to mean throat or gullet whilst the second is referred to as the edible shoots of stone sperage or Asparagus Acutifolius. The garden asparagus is widely cultivated as a vegetable for its succulent spring stalks. In this study, nontargeted 1 H NMR metabolomics combined with machine learning methodologies was applied to successfully distinguish the geographical origin of 237 samples of white asparagus from Germany, Poland, The Netherlands, Spain, Greece, and Peru. The leek is much more than just soup and has become very popular in our modern kitchen. asparagus (n.) plant cultivated for its edible shoots, late 14c., aspergy ; late Old English sparage , from Latin asparagus (in Medieval Latin often sparagus ), from Greek asparagos / aspharagos , which is of uncertain origin; perhaps with euphonic a- + PIE root *sp(h)er(e)g- "to spring up," but Beekes suggests "it is rather a substrate word," based in part on the p/ph variation. Discover the meaning of the Asparagus name on Ancestry®. asparagus plant cultivated for its edible shoots, late 14c., aspergy; late Old English sparage, from Latin asparagus (in Medieval Latin often sparagus), from Greek asparagos / aspharagos, which is of uncertain origin; perhaps with euphonic a-+ PIE root *sp(h)er(e)g-"to spring up," but Beekes suggests "it is rather a substrate word," based in part on the p/ph variation. Dispersal to Eurasia genome sheds light on the origin and evolution of a spine. 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