ASPIIO'DELUS, n genus of plants the typo of the natural order A sphodelem. It comprehends some handsome hardy perennial plants, with fleshy finger-like roots, and upright undivided annual stems covered with long leaves; they are among the most highly developed of the Monocotyledonous plants of northern countries. The most remarkable species are the following :- A. luteus, the common Yellow Asplul.-1, is a beautiful perennial, very often soon in cottage-gardens or on the outskirts of shrubberies. It grows wild in 'lathery, Sicily, Dalmatia, the Peloponnesus end even spreads into the Crimea. Its stems are from 2 to 3 feet high, never branched, and covered all over with long narrow bluish-green leaves, which have very broad sheathing bases. The flowers are handsome, deep yellow, with a green streak on the outside of each petal. The fruit consists of mil pulpy berries.
Very nearly related to this are A. eapitictris, which differs chiefly in its very narrow leaves, shorter bracts, and extremely narrow divisions of the flower; and A. Sibiricus, figured in the ' Botanical Itegieter,' plate 1507, which is principally known by its dwnrfer stature, earlier and paler flowers, more glaucous leaves, and shorter bracts.
A. albus, or the White Asphodel, found all over the southern provinces of Europe and the basin of the Mediterranean Sea, is as frequently seen as the first, and in similar situations. its flowers are white with a reddish streak on the outside of each petal, and aro disposed in branched clusters. A. ramous of many gardens seems merely n branched state of this species, and several other reputed species with white flowers are also in all probability not distinct