''Lobularia maritima'' (

syn. The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnae ...

''Alyssum maritimum'') is a species of low-growing flowering plant in the family

Brassicaceae Brassicaceae () or (the older) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some are shrubs. The l ...

. Its common name is sweet alyssum or , also commonly referred to as just alyssum (from the genus '' Alyssum'' in which it was formerly classified).

Etymology

The genus name ''Lobularia'' comes from a Greek word meaning 'small pod', referring to the shape of the fruits. The name of the species ''maritima'' refers to its preferred coastal habitat.

Description

Lobularia maritima is an annual plant (rarely a short-lived

perennial plant A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

) growing to tall by broad. The stem is very branched, with dense clusters of small flowers. The leaves are 1–4 cm long and 3–5 mm, broad, alternate, sessile, quite hairy, oval to lanceolate, with an entire margin. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

s are about in diameter, sweet-smelling, with an aroma similar to that of honey, with four white rounded petals (or pink, rose-red, violet. yellow and lilac) and four sepals. The six stamens have yellow anthers. The flowers are produced throughout the growing season, or year-round in areas free of frost. They are pollinated by insects ( entomophily). The fruits are numerous elongated seedpods rather hairy, oval to rounded, each containing two seeds. The dispersal of seed is affected by the wind ( anemochory).

Distribution

This plant is native to the

Mediterranean Basin In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and w ...

and the

Macaronesia Macaronesia (Portuguese: ''Macaronésia,'' Spanish: ''Macaronesia'') is a collection of four volcanic archipelagos in the North Atlantic, off the coasts of Africa and Europe. Each archipelago is made up of a number of Atlantic oceanic islands ...

region: (

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Mo ...

Madeira ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Madeira , map_caption=Location of Madeira , subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...

Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

). It is widely naturalized elsewhere in the

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

world, including the United States. There is an endemic subspecies in the local flora of the

Columbretes Islands The Columbretes Islands ( ca-valencia, Les Columbretes, or ''Els Columbrets'' (), are a group of small uninhabited islets of volcanic origin, in the Mediterranean Sea, off Orpesa. Administratively they belong to Castellón de la Plana in the Val ...

of the western Mediterranean.

Habitat

It is common on sandy beaches and dunes, but can also grow on cultivated fields, walls, slopes and waste ground, preferably on calcareous soil, at an altitude of above sea level.

Cultivation

''Lobularia maritima'' is cultivated in gardens, with many horticultural varieties with purple or pink flowers. The plant is best planted in early spring, but requires little maintenance when growing. Although an annual, it may reseed in temperate climates. It will flower more profusely if spent blooms are trimmed. When grown in

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

s, it is typically used as groundcover, as it rarely grows higher than tall. It is also grown in cracks in paving and walls, and is especially associated with coastal locations. It prefers partial shade, and is resistant to heat and

drought A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...

. Plants with darker-colored flowers do better in cooler temperatures. ''Lobularia maritima'' has high drought and heat resistance.

Cultivars

(Those marked have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (No ...

’s

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

.) * 'Snow Cloth' (white) * 'Royal Carpet' (purple) * 'Benthamii' * 'Carpet of Snow' * 'Easter Bonnet Violet' * Golf Series * 'Little Dorrit' * 'Navy Blue' * 'New Carpet of Snow' * 'Oriental Nights' * 'Rosie O’Day' * 'Snow Crystals' * 'Snowdrift' * 'Sweet White' *'Tiny Tim' * 'Violet Queen' * 'Wonderland Copper' * 'Wonderland White'

Uses

The petals, leaves, and tender stems of the plant can be eaten raw or cooked.

Gallery

File:Brassicaceae - Lobularia maritima.JPG, Plants of ''Lobularia maritima'' File:Brassicaceae - Lobularia maritima-4.JPG, Flowers of ''Lobularia maritima'' File:Brassicaceae - Lobularia maritima-3.JPG, Flowers of ''Lobularia maritima'' File:Lobularia maritima3.jpg, ''L. maritima, Osaka, Japan'' File:Brassicaceae - Lobularia maritima-1.JPG, Leaf of ''Lobularia maritima''

Synonyms

References

External links

Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA Plants ProfileKemper Garden CenterPhoto gallery
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2094356 Annual plants Brassicaceae Edible plants Flora of Macaronesia Flora of Europe Garden plants of Europe Groundcovers Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus