''Iberis umbellata'', common name garden candytuft
or globe candytuft,
is a
herbaceous
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials.
Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous"
The fourth edition of ...
annual flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
of the
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
''
Iberis'' and the family
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae () or (the older but equally valid) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important Family (biology), family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous pla ...
.
Etymology
The genus name derives from "Iberia", the ancient name of Spain, while the species epithet comes from the Latin "umbel", meaning "umbrella" and refers to the shape of the inflorescence.
Description
The biological form of ''Iberis umbellata'' is ''
hemicryptophyte'' ''
scapose'',
[Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia – Edagricole – 1982. Vol. I, pag. 454] as its overwintering buds are situated just below the soil surface and the
floral axis is more or less erect with a few leaves.
The stem is twisted at the base while the flowering branches are erect and leafy. This plant reaches a height of .
[ The leaves are green and linear-lanceolate, long.][ The flowers are in umbel-shaped ]corymb
Corymb is a botanical term for an inflorescence with the flowers growing in such a fashion that the outermost are borne on longer pedicels than the inner, bringing all flowers up to a common level. A corymb has a flattish top with a superficial re ...
s. The calyx is violet and the corolla is composed of four white, pink or purple petals. The petals are rounded at the apex, with the peripheral ones forming a large vexillum
The ''vexillum'' (; : ''vexilla'') was a flag-like object used as a War flag, military standard by units in the Roman army. A common ''vexillum'' displayed imagery of the Aquila (Roman), Roman ''aquila'' on a reddish backdrop.
Use in Roman arm ...
long.[ The flowering period extends from May through June.][ The flowers are hermaphroditic and pollinated by bees and butterflies. The fruit is a ]silique
A silique or siliqua (plural ''siliques'' or ''siliquae'') is a type of fruit (seed capsule) having two fused carpels with the length being more than three times the width. When the length is less than three times the width of the dried fruit ...
long.
Distribution
This species is native to the Mediterranean region. It is present in most of Europe, especially along the coasts, from Spain to Greece and in northern America.[Iberis umbellata]
/ref>
Habitat
It grows in dry rocky hillsides, in bushy areas and in clearings, preferably on calcareous soils, at an altitude of above sea level.[
]
Gallery
File:2010-06-29 (3) plant.JPG, Plants of ''Iberis-umbellata''
File:2006-11-28Iberis10.jpg, Plant of ''Iberis-umbellata''
File:07964-Iberis-umbellata.jpg, Flowers of ''Iberis-umbellata''
File:Schleifenblume06.jpg, Flower of ''Iberis-umbellata''
File:Iberis umbellata 2017-04-23 8596.jpg, Seedlings.
References
The International Plant Name List
Acta Plantarum
Plants for a future
External links
Biolib
USDA
umbellata
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
{{Brassicales-stub