Lobularia maritima

(Linnaeus) Desvaux

J. Bot. Agric. 3: 162. 1815.

Common names: Sweet-alyssum
WeedyIntroducedIllustrated
Basionym: Clypeola maritima Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 2: 652. 1753
Synonyms: Alyssum maritimum (Linnaeus) Lamarck Koniga maritima (Linnaeus) R. Brown
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 7. Treatment on page 598.

Plants suffruticose (when subshrubs). Stems 0.5–2.5(–4) dm. Leaves: blade linear or lanceolate-oblanceolate, (1–)1.6–2.5(–4.2) cm × (1–)2–3(–7) mm, base attenuate, apex acute. Racemes elongated in fruit, (1–)4–8(–16) cm, (dense). Fruiting pedicels (3–)4.5–6(–9.5) mm. Flowers: sepals often tinged purplish, (1.4–)1.5–1.7(–2.4) mm; petals broadly obovate, (1.9–)2.3–2.8(–3.1) × (1.2–)1.6–2(–2.6) mm, abruptly contracted into claw; filaments 1.2–2 mm; anthers 0.3–0.5 mm. Fruits (1.9–)2.3–2.7(–4.2) × (1.2–)1.6–2(–2.9) mm; valve margins thin, sparsely pubescent; style 0.4–0.6 mm. Seeds light to reddish brown, not winged, (1–)1.2–1.4(–2) × (0.7–)1–1.1(–1.6) mm. 2n = 24.


Phenology: Flowering year-round (peak spring–summer).
Habitat: Roadsides, waste places, vacant lots, cultivated fields, walls, coastal fir zone, mainly along Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts, also ephemeral inland
Elevation: 0-800 m

Distribution

V7 974-distribution-map.gif

Introduced; B.C., N.S., Ont., Que., Ariz., Calif., Conn., Del., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Miss., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tex., Utah, Vt., Wash., Europe, Asia, Africa, introduced also in Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Pacific Islands, Australia.

Discussion

Lobularia maritima is widely cultivated as an ornamental; many cultivars are on the market. It was introduced to North America because of its drought tolerance and attractive, scented white flowers (R. Ornduff 1974). It has been reported as cultivated in the northern United States back to 1856 (A. Gray 1856). The cultivars naturalize very easily and have been known as locally established garden escapes in North America back to the end of the nineteenth century (N. L. Britton and A. Brown 1896–1898, vol. 2).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Lobularia maritima"
Liv Borgen +
(Linnaeus) Desvaux +
Clypeola maritima +
Sweet-alyssum +
B.C. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Ariz. +, Calif. +, Conn. +, Del. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, La. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Miss. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Vt. +, Wash. +, Europe +, Asia +, Africa +, introduced also in Mexico +, West Indies +, Central America +, South America +, Pacific Islands +  and Australia. +
0-800 m +
Roadsides, waste places, vacant lots, cultivated fields, walls, coastal fir zone, mainly along Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts, also ephemeral inland +
Flowering year-round (peak spring–summer). +
J. Bot. Agric. +
Weedy +, Introduced +  and Illustrated +
Alyssum maritimum +  and Koniga maritima +
Lobularia maritima +
Lobularia +
species +