Alyssum Explained
Alyssum is a genus of over a hundred species of flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae, native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean region. The genus comprises annual and perennial herbaceous plants or (rarely) small shrubs, growing to 10–100 cm tall, with oblong-oval leaves. Alyssum flowers are characteristically small and grouped in terminal clusters;[1] they are often yellow or white colored but can be pink or purple.
The genera Lobularia, Aurinia and Odontarrhena are closely related to Alyssum and were formerly included in it. The widely cultivated species popularly known as "sweet alyssum" (Alyssum maritimum) is Lobularia maritima. The common rockery plant (Alyssum saxatile) is Aurinia saxatilis.
Alyssum foliage is used as food by the caterpillars of certain Lepidoptera, including the Gem (Orthonama obstipata). However, rabbits will not eat it.[2]
Species
Accepted
The following is a list of accepted species. Unless noted otherwise, it follows AlyBase.[3] An asterisk indicates provisionally accepted names.
- Alyssum aizoides
- Alyssum alyssoides
- Alyssum andinum
- Alyssum argyrophyllum
- Alyssum armenum
- Alyssum artwinense
- Alyssum atlanticum
- Alyssum aurantiacum
- Alyssum austrodalmaticum
- Alyssum bargalense
- Alyssum blancheanum
- Alyssum bornmuelleri
- Alyssum bosniacum
- Alyssum bulbotrichum
- Alyssum cacuminum
- Alyssum caespitosum
- Alyssum calycocarpum
- Alyssum clausonis
- Alyssum contemptum
- Alyssum corningii
- Alyssum cuneifolium
- Alyssum dagestanicum
- Alyssum damascenum
- Alyssum dasycarpum
- Alyssum decoloratum
- Alyssum djurdjurae
- Alyssum doerfleri
- Alyssum embergeri
- Alyssum fastigiatum
- Alyssum flahaultianum
- Alyssum foliosum
- Alyssum fulvescens
- Alyssum gallaecicum
- Alyssum gmelinii
- Alyssum granatense
- Alyssum gustavssonii
- Alyssum hajastanum
- Alyssum handelii
- Alyssum harputicum
- Alyssum hezarmasjedense
- Alyssum hirsutum
- Alyssum idaeum
- Alyssum iljinskae
- Alyssum iranicum
- Alyssum kaynakiae
- Alyssum kotovii
- Alyssum lassiticum
- Alyssum lenense
- Alyssum lepidoto-stellatum
- Alyssum lepidotum
- Alyssum loiseleurii
- Alyssum lycaonicum
- Alyssum macrocalyx
- Alyssum macropodum
- Alyssum minutum
- Alyssum misirdalianum
- Alyssum moellendorfianum
- Alyssum montanum
- Alyssum mouradicum
- Alyssum muelleri
- Alyssum neglectum
- Alyssum nezaketiae
- Alyssum niveum
- Alyssum numidicum
- Alyssum ochroleucum
- Alyssum orophilum
- Alyssum oschtenicum
- Alyssum patulum
- Alyssum pirinicum
- Alyssum pluscanescens
- Alyssum pogonocarpum
- Alyssum praecox
- Alyssum propinquum
- Alyssum pseudomouradicum
- Alyssum pulvinare
- Alyssum reiseri
- Alyssum repens
- Alyssum rhodanense
- Alyssum rossetii
- Alyssum rostratum
- Alyssum scutigerum
- Alyssum siculum
- Alyssum simplex
- Alyssum simulans
- Alyssum smyrnaeum
- Alyssum speciosum
- Alyssum stapfii
- Alyssum stenostachyum
- Alyssum strictum
- Alyssum strigosum
- Alyssum sulphureum
- Alyssum szovitsianum
- Alyssum taygeteum
- Alyssum tetrastemon
- Alyssum thymops
- Alyssum trichocarpum
- Alyssum trichostachyum
- Alyssum turkestanicum
- Alyssum umbellatum
- Alyssum vernale
- Alyssum wierzbickii
- Alyssum wulfenianum
- Alyssum xanthocarpum
Formerly included
The following names are listed by World Flora Online as accepted (as of the end of 2021),[4] but in AlyBase[3] have either been assigned to different genera (typically based on molecular phylogeny studies) or have been reduced to synonymy. A question mark indicates doubtful synonyms or species names with unresolved taxonomic status.
- Alyssum akamasicum → Odontarrhena akamasica
- Alyssum algeriense → Alyssum granatense?
- Alyssum alpestre → Odontarrhena alpestris
- Alyssum anamense → Odontarrhena singarensis?
- Alyssum anatolicum → Odontarrhena anatolica
- Alyssum antiatlanticum → Cuprella antiatlantica
- Alyssum arabicum → Lobularia arabica
- Alyssum argenteum → Odontarrhena argentea
- Alyssum aureum → Meniocus aureus
- Alyssum bertolonii → Odontarrhena bertolonii
- Alyssum blepharocarpum → Meniocus blepharocarpus
- Alyssum bracteatum → Odontarrhena bracteata
- Alyssum brughieri?
- Alyssum caliacrae → Odontarrhena tortuosa subsp. caliacrae
- Alyssum callichroum → Odontarrhena callichroa
- Alyssum caricum → Odontarrhena carica
- Alyssum cassium → Odontarrhena cassia
- Alyssum chondrogynum → Odontarrhena chondrogyna
- Alyssum cilicicum → Odontarrhena cilicica
- Alyssum cochleatum → Hormathophylla cochleata
- Alyssum condensatum → Odontarrhena condensata
- Alyssum constellatum → Odontarrhena constellata
- Alyssum corsicum → Odontarrhena corsica
- Alyssum corymbosoides → Odontarrhena corymbosoidea
- Alyssum crenulatum → Odontarrhena crenulata
- Alyssum curetum → Alyssum idaeum
- Alyssum cypricum → Odontarrhena cyprica
- Alyssum davisianum → Odontarrhena davisiana
- Alyssum davisianum → Odontarrhena davisiana
- Alyssum debarense → Odontarrhena debarensis
- Alyssum degenianum → Odontarrhena muralis
- Alyssum densistellatum → Alyssum montanum s.l.
- Alyssum desertorum → Alyssum turkestanicum
- Alyssum dimorphosepalum → Alyssum iranicum
- Alyssum discolor → Odontarrhena discolor
- Alyssum dubertretii → Odontarrhena dubertretii
- Alyssum dudleyi → Odontarrhena dudleyi
- Alyssum emarginatum → Bornmuellera emarginata
- Alyssum erigens → Alyssum vernale
- Alyssum eriophyllum → Odontarrhena eriophylla
- Alyssum euboeum → Odontarrhena euboea
- Alyssum fallacinum → Odontarrhena heldreichii
- Alyssum fedtschenkoanum → Odontarrhena fedtschenkoana
- Alyssum filiforme → Odontarrhena filiformis
- Alyssum floribundum → Odontarrhena floribunda
- Alyssum fragillimum → Odontarrhena fragillima
- Alyssum gadorense → Alyssum fastigiatum
- Alyssum gehamense → Odontarrhena gehamensis
- Alyssum gevgelicense → Odontarrhena gevgelicensis
- Alyssum giosnanum → Odontarrhena giosnana
- Alyssum globosum → Physaria globosa
- Alyssum gymnopodum → Odontarrhena tortuosa subsp. cretacea
- Alyssum hakaszkii → Odontarrhena obovata
- Alyssum haussknechtii → Odontarrhena haussknechtii
- Alyssum heldreichii → Odontarrhena heldreichii
- Alyssum heterotrichum → Meniocus heterotrichus
- Alyssum homalocarpum → Cuprella homalocarpa
- Alyssum huber-morathii → Odontarrhena huber-morathii
- Alyssum huetii → Meniocus huetii
- Alyssum kavadarcense → Odontarrhena kavadarcensis
- Alyssum klimesii → Ladakiella klimesii
- Alyssum kurdicum → Odontarrhena kurdica
- Alyssum lanigerum → Odontarrhena lanigera
- Alyssum leiocarpum → Alyssum minutum
- Alyssum lesbiacum → Odontarrhena lesbiaca
- Alyssum libanoticum → Odontarrhena libanotica
- Alyssum linifolium → Meniocus linifolius
- Alyssum longistylum → Odontarrhena tortuosa subsp. tortuosa
- Alyssum luteolum → Alyssum granatense?
- Alyssum markgrafii → Odontarrhena markgrafii
- Alyssum masmenaeum → Odontarrhena masmenaea
- Alyssum mazandaranicum → Alyssum turkestanicum
- Alyssum meniocoides → Meniocus meniocoides
- Alyssum microphylliforme → Odontarrhena tortuosa subsp. tortuosa?
- Alyssum mozaffarianii → Odontarrhena mozaffarianii
- Alyssum mughlaei → Odontarrhena mughlaei
- Alyssum murale → Odontarrhena muralis
- Alyssum musilii → Cuprella homalocarpa
- Alyssum nebrodense → Odontarrhena nebrodensis
- Alyssum obovatum → Odontarrhena obovata
- Alyssum obtusifolium → Odontarrhena obtusifolia
- Alyssum odoratum?
- Alyssum orbelicum → Odontarrhena orbelica
- Alyssum orbiculare → Odontarrhena obovata
- Alyssum ovirense → Alyssum wulfenianum subsp. ovirense
- Alyssum oxycarpum → Odontarrhena oxycarpa
- Alyssum pateri → Odontarrhena pateri
- Alyssum peltarioides → Odontarrhena peltarioidea
- Alyssum penjwinense → Odontarrhena penjwinensis
- Alyssum pinifolium → Odontarrhena pinifolia
- Alyssum polycladum → Odontarrhena polyclada
- Alyssum pterocarpum → Odontarrhena pterocarpa
- Alyssum robertianum → Odontarrhena robertiana
- Alyssum samariferum → Odontarrhena samarifera
- Alyssum samium → Odontarrhena samia
- Alyssum scardicum → Alyssum montanum s.l.
- Alyssum sergievskajae → Stevenia sergievskajae
- Alyssum serpentinum → Odontarrhena serpentina
- Alyssum serpyllifolium → Odontarrhena serpyllifolia
- Alyssum sibiricum → Odontarrhena sibirica
- Alyssum singarense → Odontarrhena singarensis
- Alyssum skopjense → Odontarrhena skopjensis
- Alyssum smolikanum → Odontarrhena smolikana
- Alyssum spruneri → Alyssum montanum s.l.
- Alyssum stipitatum → Odontarrhena stipitata
- Alyssum stylare → Meniocus stylaris
- Alyssum subbaicalicum → Odontarrhena obovata
- Alyssum subspinosum → Odontarrhena subspinosa
- Alyssum syriacum → Odontarrhena syriaca
- Alyssum szarabiacum → Odontarrhena szarabiaca
- Alyssum tavolarae → Odontarrhena tavolarae
- Alyssum tenium → Odontarrhena diffusa
- Alyssum tenuifolium → Stevenia tenuifolia
- Alyssum tortuosum → Odontarrhena tortuosa subsp. tortuosa
- Alyssum trapeziforme → Odontarrhena trapeziformis
- Alyssum troodi → Odontarrhena troodi
- Alyssum turgidum → Odontarrhena turgida
- Alyssum virgatum → Odontarrhena virgata
Notes and References
- Encyclopedia: Alyssum . The Macmillan Encyclopedia.
- Web site: Home . Garden Guides.
- Web site: Španiel, S.. Kempa, M. . Salmerón-Sánchez, E. . Fuertes-Aguilar, J. . Francisco Mota, J. . Al-Shehbaz, I.A. . German, D.A. . Olšavská, K. . Šingliarová, B. . Zozomová-Lihová, J. . Marhold, K . AlyBase – database of names, chromosome numbers, and ploidy levels of Alysseae (Brassicaceae) . 27 December 2021.
- Web site: Alyssum L. . World Flora Online . 27 December 2021.
