Plants rhizomatous herbs; rhizomes yellow. Leaves linear. Inflorescences racemes or panicles with many flowers; bracts peristent, scarious; pedicels articulated, often thickening sitally in fruit. Tepals subequal, white or pale pink, free or united only at the base, spreading, with 1-vein each, soon falling, leaving a basal cup below the ovary; stamens equal or almost o, shorter than the tepals, filaments expanded at the base. Capsules with 3-6 seeds; seeds angled, transversely grooved on the outer side.
Asphodelus includes about 18 species. It is native from the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean east to the Himalayas. Only one species Asphedelus fistulosus, is native to Somaliland and Somalia.
