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.
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Alyssum maritimum (L.) Lam.
Clypeola maritima L.
Koniga maritima (L.) R. Br.