E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv.
sweet alyssum
Brassicaceae (Mustard family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Jamie Fenneman  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #12290)

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Distribution of Lobularia maritima
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Species Information

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General:
Perennial herb from a taproot; stems usually branched from the base, prostrate or spreading, 10-30 cm tall, greyish, hairy, the hairs pick-shaped or nearly glabrous.
Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, sharp-pointed, 1-4 cm long, 1-4 mm wide.
Flowers:
Very fragrant; flower stalks spreading, slender, 5-10 mm long; petals white or bluish-tinged, widely egg-shaped and short-clawed, 3-4 mm long; sepals 1.5-2 mm long, soon deciduous.
Fruits:
Silicles, broadly egg-shaped or suborbicular, 2-3.5 mm long, sharp-pointed, often sparsely hairy; beaks about 0.5 mm long; seeds wingless.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Dry waste places in the lowland zone; rare in SW BC; known only from SE Vancouver Island; introduced from Europe.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Alyssum maritimum (L.) Lam.
Clypeola maritima L.
Koniga maritima (L.) R. Br.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References