All about Asparagus fern

Scientific names	Common names
Asparagus comorensis Hort.	Asparagus fern (Engl.)
Asparagus setaceus (Kunth) Jessop	Climbing asparagus fern (Engl.)
Asparagus plumosus Baker	Climbing feather fern (Engl.)
Asparagopsis setacea Kunth	Esparrago plumosa (Span.)
	Common asparagus fern (Engl.)
	Feather fern (Engl.)
	Ornamental asparagus (Engl.)
	Wen zhu (Chin.)

 

Other vernacular names

DANISH: Slørasparges.

FRENCH: Asparagus des fleuristes.

SPANISH: Esparrago plumosa, Esparraguera de las floristas.

THAI: Prong fa.

General information

Genus Asparagus of the Liliaceae family is of medical importance because of its steroidal sapogenins used as precursors for many pharmacologically active steroids.

Asparagus fern is a slender, climbiing or ascending, branched perennial, with round, green and wiry stems, with very numerous slender branches and branchlets that spread horizontally, forming triangular fernlike sprays, with the upper internodes 1 to 2 millimeters long. Leaves (cladodes) are setaceous, very slender, 3 to 5 millimeters long, ascending or spreading, 6 to 12 in a fascicle. Flowers are small, perfect, solitary at the ends of the branches, with very short pedicels, about 1 millimeter long. Perianth-segments are about 2 millimeters long and spreading. Fruit is a purple and black ovoid berry.

Distribution

– Cultivated for ornamental use.

– Native of Africa.

– Cultivated in most warm countries.

Constituents

• Study isolated furostanol glycosides from Asparagus plumosus leaves.

Properties

•Traditionally, antimalarial, diuretic.

Uses
Folkloric medicinal application.

– In Mexico a decoction of the branches are used for pulmonary infections; decoction of roots used as a diuretic.

– In Tanzania, the Lobedu drink a cold infusion of leaves and stem for malaria.

– In Pakistan, root tubers used with boiled milk and sugar for dysentery and diarrhea.

Others

– Ornamental: The cuts sprays of the asparagus fern are ornamental favorites among florists for its beauty and lasting quality.

Studies

• Phytochemicals / Glycosides:

(1) A methanolic extract study of leaves of A plumosus yielded two new furostanol glycosides.

(2) Study yielded three spirostanol glycosides from the leaves.

Availability

Cultivated for ornmental use.

Seeds in the cybermarket.

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