A subfamilial classification for the expanded asparagalean families Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae

We provide here a subfamilial scheme for the expanded asparagalean families Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae. Our recommendation is that the first family has three subfamilies (Agapanthoideae, Allioideae and Amaryllidoideae), the second has seven (Agavoideae, Aphyllanthoideae, Asparagoideae, Brodiaeoideae, Lomandroideae, Nolinoideae and Scilloideae) and the last has three (Asphodeloideae, Hemerocallidoideae and Xanthorrhoeoideae). Tribal names are provided for the large subfamilies Allioideae, Amaryllidoideae and Scilloideae. The use of these subfamily names permits easier descriptions of characters by specialists for these well-supported subclades, but the use of the broader family limits greatly simplifies the taxonomy of Asparagales and thus makes the teaching of these families much easier. A new subfamilial name, Xanthorrhoeoideae, and a new tribal name, Oziroeae, are proposed. (c) 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 161, 132-136.