Onions and Asparagus Related??? Get Friendly with the Monocots

Picking up some fresh asparagus at the farmers market this weekend I starting thinking about what family it belongs to, like birds have families based on genetic similarities...

Turns out the taxonomy of this glorious spring vegetable has a story. Onions and Lilies and Aloe Vera and Agave used to all be lumped under Lilaceae. A story with a poem in it I bet.

Onions have recently been moved to Amaryllidaceae and asparagus to Aparagaceae. 

Whew! I am allergic to onions but that doesn't mean I can't photograph them. :)