Lobularia maritima

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:BRASSICACEAE
Species:Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv.
Common Name:Sweet Alyssum; Sweet Alison
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Annual
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:Sweet Alyssum is an introduced herbaceous annual or short-lived perennial in the Mustard family (Brassicaceae). It is native to the Mediterranean region, Canary Islands, and Azores. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental, and has been grown in the United States since the mid-1800’s. In Alabama it has rarely been collected as an escape on roadsides and along sidewalks. Sweet Alyssum is an annual or short-lived perennial with a tap root. The decumbent stems are branched, green in color, and pubescent with appressed hairs. Leaves are alternate, sessile, oval to lanceolate in outline, pubescent, and with entire margins. Flowers are produced in racemes. Each flower has 4 green sepals, 4 white or pinkish petals, and 6 stamens. The flowers are fragrant with a honey-like odor. The fruit is an oval to rounded silicle containing 2 seed. Sweet Alyssum is listed as an invasive species by the California Invasive Plant Council. Frequently sold by nurseries and garden centers, Sweet Alyssum is a popular low-growing ornamental used as a bedding plant, for borders, in rock gardens, and in hanging baskets and container gardens. It is drought tolerant and fast growing. It does not tolerate heat very well and is best grown in the cool seasons.—A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Not Native
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyBRASSICACEAE - Mustard family
Genus Lobularia
Species Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv. - Sweet Alyssum; Sweet Alison

Citation

Citation Lobularia maritima (Linnaeus) Desvaux, J. Bot. Agric. 3(4): 162. 1814 [1815].
Basionym: Clypeola maritima L. 1753.
Type: Without data (lectotype: Tabernaemontanus, Eicones pl. 461. 1590); without data (epitype: LINN 830.3). Lectotypified by Borgen, in Cafferty & C.E. Jarvis, Taxon 51: 533. 2002.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Alyssum maritimum Alyssum maritimum (Linnaeus) Lamarck, Encycl. 1: 98. 1783.Clypeola maritima Linnaeus 1753. 
Alyssum minimum Alyssum minimum Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 651. 1753. SPAIN: Without data (lectotype: LINN 828.8). Lectotypified by Borgen, in Cafferty & C. E. Jarvis, Taxon 51: 530. 2002.
Clypeola maritima Clypeola maritima Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 652. 1753. Without data (lectotype: Tabernaemontanus, Eicones pl. 461. 1590); without data (epitype: LINN 830.3). Lectotypified by Borgen, in Cafferty & C. E. Jarvis, Taxon 51: 533. 2002.
Glyce maritima Glyce maritima (Linnaeus) Lindley, Syn. Brit. Fl. 26. 1829.Clypeola maritima Linnaeus 1753. 
Koniga maritima Koniga maritima (Linnaeus) R. Brown, Narr. Travels Africa 214. 1826.Clypeola maritima Linnaeus 1753. 
Octadenia maritima Octadenia maritima (Linnaeus) Fischer & C. A. Meyer, Index Sem. Hort. Petrop. 3: 41. 1837.Clypeola maritima Linnaeus 1753. 

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Covington, Etowah, Macon

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AMAL, TROY, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: -

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.		 Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used		 Image
AMAL00006105 Etowah 31 Aug 1996 Spaulding, Daniel D.
8595		 AMAL
Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv.
UWAL0039908 Covington 30 Jul 2017 Diamond, Alvin R.
27894		 UWAL
Lobularia maritima (Linnaeus) Desvaux
TROY000045588 Covington 30 Jul 2017 Diamond, Alvin R.
27894		 TROY
Lobularia maritima (Linnaeus) Desvaux
ALNHS00005993 Macon 27 May 2018 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#4031		 ALNHS
Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv.
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