Asphodelus luteus L. Asphodeline lutea (king's spear, yellow asphodel) is a perennial plant native to southeastern Europe, northern Africa, the Caucasus and the Levant.

[2] It has been associated with the Asphodel of the Ancient Greek underworld,[3] but so has the closely related Asphodelus ramosus.

The grey-green leaves are 1 ft (0.30 m) tall, with the flower stalk growing 3 to 4 ft (0.91 to 1.22 m) bearing a dense raceme of 1 in (2.5 cm) bright yellow flowers.

[2] Asphodeline lutea was introduced into the University of Oxford Botanic Garden in 1648, even though it demonstrated no known uses that are typical of a physic garden (plants grown for medicinal use).

One of the curators of the garden at the time, John Parkinson, said the plant was "not... used in Physicke for any purpose."