Annual herb, 15-50 cm tall. Leaves 15-30 x 0.5-3 mm linear, semiterete, acute, sheathing at the base, finely puberulous. Scapes many from the base, much branched, 30-60 cm. Flowers laxly racemose, bracteate, pedicel 4-6 mm, jointed below the middle, bract c. 2.5 mm, broadly ovate, scarious with a brownish keel. Tepals (3-) 5-6 mm long, white to pale-pink. Stamens 3-3.5 mm long, anthers 1-1.5 mm long. Style c. 2 mm long, stigma subcapitate, minutely 3-lobed. Capsule 3-4 mm in diameter, globose. Seeds c. 3 mm, sharply trigonous, black.

Fl.Per.: November-April

Type: “El Sr. Broussonet la encontro junto a Magador.”.

Distribution: North Africa, S. W. Europe, South West Asia, Pakistan and India.

The plant is eaten raw as well as in cooked form, particularly during famine. The seeds are considered to be diuretic.

Richardson & Smythies in Tutin et al., Fl. Europ. 5: 17, 1980 have treated Asphodelus tenuifolius Cav. as a synonym of Asphodelus. Fistulosus. I have followed Wendelbo (l.c.) who has accepted Asphodelus tenuifolius Cav. as a separate species till more is known about the variation patterns of Asphodelus fistulosus L. from the entire range.