A Four-Decade Bibliometric Analysis on the Genera, Asphodelus L. and Asphodeline Rchb., Belonging to the Family Asphodelaceae: Research Trends and Knowledge Gaps

The family Asphodelaceae, particularly the genera Asphodelus L. and Asphodeline Rchb., includes Mediterranean wild plants of ecological, agronomic, and phytochemical importance. Yet, their applied scientific studies remain fragmented and lack synthesis. This study provides the first bibliometric analysis of applied agronomic, ecological, and phytochemical research on these genera, integrating a transparent and reproducible framework. Publications indexed in the Scopus database from 1987 to 2026 were systematically screened. A sensitivity analysis of the search string progressively reduced the corpus from 1797 taxonomy-only records to 149 after applying intervention, outcomes, and exclusion criteria, of which 64 studies met the final inclusion criteria (43% inclusion rate). Bibliometric analysis was performed using Bibliometrix and VOSviewer. The final dataset spans 57 sources, with 265 contributing authors, an average of 4.95 authors per paper, and an international collaboration rate of 22.15%, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of the field. Scientific production shows a gradual increase over time, with peaks after 2019, although citation impact remains uneven (mean 15.23 citations per document) and concentrated in a few highly cited studies. Research is geographically clustered along a Mediterranean–South Asian axis, with Italy emerging as the main hub of citation impact and collaboration. Keyword analysis identifies four main thematic clusters, revealing a progressive shift from early ecological and weed–crop interaction studies toward phytochemistry, plant extracts, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity. Despite this growth, substantial gaps persist in agronomy, domestication, and large-scale cultivation, limiting the translation of these species into viable crops. The present analysis is therefore motivated by the need to clarify the current level of scientific knowledge on these species and to assess their potential for future domestication. In this context, identifying research gaps is essential not only for guiding interdisciplinary studies but also for supporting the development of value chains and processing pathways aimed at the sustainable valorisation of these underexplored Mediterranean species.