View source for Alyssum

{{Treatment/ID
|accepted_name=Alyssum
|accepted_authority=Linnaeus
|publications={{Treatment/Publication
|title=Sp. Pl.
|place=2: 650. 1753
|year=1753
}}, {{Treatment/Publication
|title=Gen. Pl. ed.
|place=5, 293. 1754
|year=1754
}}
|common_names=Madwort
|basionyms=
|synonyms=
|hierarchy=Brassicaceae;Brassicaceae tribe Alysseae;Alyssum
|hierarchy_nav=<div class="higher-taxa"><div class="higher-taxon"><small>family</small>[[Brassicaceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>tribe</small>[[Brassicaceae tribe Alysseae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>genus</small>[[Alyssum]]</div></div>
|etymology=Greek, a-, not or without, and lyssa, rabies or madness; name used for plants reputed in ancient times as remedy for hydrophobia, cure for madness, and calmative for anger
|volume=Volume 7
|mention_page=page 226, 237, 241
|treatment_page=page 247
}}<!--

--><span class="statement" id="st-d0_s0" data-properties=""><b>Annuals </b>or perennials [biennials, subshrubs];</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s1" data-properties="whole-organism architecture;whole-organism duration;whole-organism architecture;whole-organism duration">not scapose;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s2" data-properties="trichome architecture;trichome arrangement or shape;basal branch quantity;basal branch size;ray architecture;ray architecture;trichome architecture">trichomes sessile, stellate, with 2–6 minute basal branches (branches as many as 3–25), rays branched or not, sometimes trichomes simple [lepidote].</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s3" data-properties="stem orientation;stem orientation;stem orientation;stem orientation;stem orientation;stem architecture;stem architecture"><b>Stems </b>erect, ascending, or decumbent, unbranched or branched.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s4" data-properties=""><b>Leaves </b>basal and cauline;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s5" data-properties="leaf position;leaf position;leaf architecture;leaf architecture">petiolate or sessile;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s6" data-properties="basal leaf arrangement;basal leaf arrangement;basal leaf architecture;basal leaf architecture;blade margin architecture or shape">basal rosulate or not, petiolate or sessile, blade margins entire;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s7" data-properties="cauline leaf architecture;cauline leaf architecture;margin architecture or shape">cauline petiolate or sessile, blade (base cuneate or attenuate), margins entire.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s8" data-properties=""><b>Racemes </b>(few to several-flowered, sometimes corymbose or paniculate).</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s9" data-properties="raceme orientation;raceme arrangement;raceme orientation;raceme size;raceme size"><b>Fruiting </b>pedicels ascending, divaricate, or reflexed, slender or stout.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s10" data-properties="sepal shape;sepal shape;sepal position;sepal architecture or shape"><b>Flowers:</b> sepals ovate or oblong, lateral pair not saccate;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s11" data-properties="petal coloration;petal coloration;petal shape;petal shape;petal shape;petal shape;petal shape">petals yellow or white [rarely pink], suborbicular, spatulate, oblanceolate, linear-oblanceolate, or, obovate (apex obtuse or emarginate);</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s12" data-properties="stamen architecture">stamens tetradynamous;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s13" data-properties="filament architecture;filament architecture;filament architecture;filament shape">filaments not winged, uni or bilaterally winged, appendaged, or toothed;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s14" data-properties="anther shape;anther shape">anthers ovate or oblong;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s15" data-properties="nectar gland atypical quantity;nectar gland quantity;median gland presence">nectar glands (4), 1 on each side of lateral stamen, median glands absent;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s16" data-properties="">(placentation apical or parietal).</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s17" data-properties="fruit architecture;fruit shape;fruit shape;fruit shape;fruit shape;fruit shape;fruit shape;fruit architecture;fruit shape"><b>Fruits </b>sessile, ovate-oblong, obovate, or elliptic [obcordate, rarely globose], usually strongly flattened, latiseptate, rarely inflated;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s18" data-properties="valve architecture;valve pubescence;valve pubescence">valves each not veined (smooth), pubescent or glabrous;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s19" data-properties="replum shape">replum (visible), rounded;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s20" data-properties="septum architecture">septum complete, (membranous, translucent, veinless);</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s21" data-properties="ovule quantity;ovule quantity">ovules 1 or 2 [or 4–8] per ovary;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s22" data-properties="stigma architecture or shape">stigma capitate.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s23" data-properties="seed arrangement;seed arrangement;seed shape;seed architecture;seed architecture;seed shape"><b>Seeds </b>biseriate or aseriate, flattened, winged or not, orbicular or suborbicular to ovoid;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s24" data-properties="seed-coat coating;seed-coat coating">seed-coat (smooth or minutely reticulate), mucilaginous or not when wetted;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s25" data-properties="cotyledon arrangement;cotyledon arrangement">cotyledons accumbent or incumbent.</span><!--

-->{{Treatment/Body
|distribution=North America;se Europe;Asia;n Africa
|discussion=<p>Species ca. 170 (6 in the flora).</p><!--
--><p>Alyssum has five introduced and one native species in North America. It is taxonomically difficult and is centered in Turkey and adjacent countries. For the determination of most species, both flowers and mature fruits are needed. Alyssum has been split into nine or more segregates; the segregates are based on the presence of staminal appendages, petal color, and number of ovules per ovary. In the absence of thorough molecular studies on Alyssum and its immediate relatives, it is more practical to delimit the genus broadly, as done here.</p>
|tables=
|references={{Treatment/Reference
|id=dudley1964a
|text=Dudley, T. R. 1964. Studies in Alyssum: Near Eastern representatives and their allies, I. J. Arnold Arbor. 45: 57–100.
}}{{Treatment/Reference
|id=dudley1964b
|text=Dudley, T. R. 1964b. Synopsis of the genus Alyssum. J. Arnold Arbor. 45: 358–373.
}}{{Treatment/Reference
|id=dudley1965a
|text=Dudley, T. R. 1965. Studies in Alyssum: Near Eastern representatives and their allies, II. Section Meniocus and section Psilonema. J. Arnold Arbor. 46: 181–217.
}}{{Treatment/Reference
|id=dudley1966a
|text=Dudley, T. R. 1966. Ornamental madworts (Alyssum) and the correct name of the goldentuft alyssum. Arnoldia (Jamaica Plain) 26: 33–48.
}}{{Treatment/Reference
|id=dudley1968a
|text=Dudley, T. R. 1968. Alyssum (Cruciferae) introduced in North America. Rhodora 70: 298–300.
}}
}}<!--

--><div class="treatment-key">
==Key==
<div class="treatment-key-group">
  
{| class="wikitable fna-keytable"
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Perennials; ovules 1 or 2 per ovary
|[[#key-0-2| > 2]]
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Annuals; ovules 2 per ovary
|[[#key-0-3| > 3]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|Cauline leaf blades broadly oblanceolate, obovate-spatulate, or obovate; stems 0.7-1.5(-2) dm; ovules (1 or) 2 per ovary; seeds not winged or margined, 1-1.7 mm.
|[[Alyssum obovatum|Alyssum obovatum]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|Cauline leaf blades narrowly oblanceolate to linear; stems (2.5-)3-6(-7) dm; ovules 1 per ovary; seeds broadly winged, 3-3.8 mm.
|[[Alyssum murale|Alyssum murale]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Fruits usually glabrous, rarely sparsely pubescent (when young).
|[[Alyssum desertorum|Alyssum desertorum]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Fruits pubescent throughout
|[[#key-0-4| > 4]]
|-id=key-0-4
|4
|Sepals persistent; filaments not appendaged, toothed, or winged (slender).
|[[Alyssum alyssoides|Alyssum alyssoides]]
|-id=key-0-4
|4
|Sepals caducous; filaments at least some appendaged, toothed, or winged (expanded basally)
|[[#key-0-5| > 5]]
|-id=key-0-5
|5
|Fruits orbicular; fruiting pedicels divaricate.
|[[Alyssum simplex|Alyssum simplex]]
|-id=key-0-5
|5
|Fruits ovate-oblong; fruiting pedicels ascending to suberect.
|[[Alyssum szowitsianum|Alyssum szowitsianum]]
|}
</div></div><!--

-->{{#Taxon:
name=Alyssum
|author=Ihsan A. Al-Shehbaz
|authority=Linnaeus
|rank=genus
|parent rank=tribe
|synonyms=
|basionyms=
|family=Brassicaceae
|distribution=North America;se Europe;Asia;n Africa
|reference=dudley1964a;dudley1964b;dudley1965a;dudley1966a;dudley1968a
|publication title=Sp. Pl.;Gen. Pl. ed.
|publication year=1753;1754
|special status=
|source xml=https://bibilujan@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-fine-grained-xml.git/src/84153f6d59a0a91d69695978a64cee7560374f8e/V7/V7_318.xml
|tribe=Brassicaceae tribe Alysseae
|genus=Alyssum
|anther shape=oblong;ovate
|basal branch quantity=2;6
|basal branch size=minute
|basal leaf architecture=sessile;petiolate
|basal leaf arrangement=not;rosulate
|blade margin architecture or shape=entire
|cauline leaf architecture=sessile;petiolate
|cotyledon arrangement=incumbent;accumbent
|filament architecture=appendaged;winged;not winged
|filament shape=toothed
|fruit architecture=latiseptate;sessile
|fruit shape=inflated;flattened;elliptic;obovate;elliptic;obovate;ovate-oblong
|leaf architecture=sessile;petiolate
|leaf position=cauline;basal
|margin architecture or shape=entire
|median gland presence=absent
|nectar gland atypical quantity=4
|nectar gland quantity=1
|ovule quantity=2;1
|petal coloration=white;yellow
|petal shape=obovate;linear-oblanceolate;oblanceolate;spatulate;suborbicular
|raceme arrangement=divaricate
|raceme orientation=reflexed;ascending
|raceme size=stout;slender
|ray architecture=not;branched
|replum shape=rounded
|seed architecture=not;winged
|seed arrangement=aseriate;biseriate
|seed shape=suborbicular;ovoid
|seed-coat coating=not;mucilaginous
|sepal architecture or shape=not saccate
|sepal position=lateral
|sepal shape=oblong;ovate
|septum architecture=complete
|stamen architecture=tetradynamous
|stem architecture=branched;unbranched
|stem orientation=decumbent;ascending;decumbent;ascending;erect
|stigma architecture or shape=capitate
|trichome architecture=simple;sessile
|trichome arrangement or shape=stellate
|valve architecture=not veined
|valve pubescence=glabrous;pubescent
|whole-organism architecture=not scapose;not scapose
|whole-organism duration=perennial;annual
}}<!--

-->[[Category:Treatment]][[Category:Brassicaceae tribe Alysseae]]