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 plant and perennial plant herbaceous plants or (rarely) small , growing to 10–100 cm tall, with oblong-oval leaves. Alyssum flowers are characteristically small and grouped in terminal clusters; 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 of certain Lepidoptera, including the Gem ( Orthonama obstipata). However, rabbits will not eat it.
Species
Accepted
The following is a list of accepted species. Unless noted otherwise, it follows
AlyBase.
An asterisk indicates provisionally accepted names.
Formerly included
The following names are listed by
World Flora Online as accepted (as of the end of 2021),
but in
AlyBase 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.
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Alyssum akamasicum → Odontarrhena akamasica
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Alyssum algeriense → Alyssum granatense?
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Alyssum alpestre → Odontarrhena alpestris
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Alyssum anamense → Odontarrhena singarensis?
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Alyssum anatolicum → Odontarrhena anatolica
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Alyssum antiatlanticum → Cuprella antiatlantica
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Alyssum arabicum → Lobularia arabica
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Alyssum argenteum → Odontarrhena argentea
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Alyssum aureum → Meniocus aureus
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Alyssum bertolonii → Odontarrhena bertolonii
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Alyssum blepharocarpum → Meniocus blepharocarpus
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Alyssum bracteatum → Odontarrhena bracteata
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Alyssum brughieri?
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Alyssum caliacrae → Odontarrhena tortuosa subsp. caliacrae
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Alyssum callichroum → Odontarrhena callichroa
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Alyssum caricum → Odontarrhena carica
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Alyssum cassium → Odontarrhena cassia
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Alyssum chondrogynum → Odontarrhena chondrogyna
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Alyssum cilicicum → Odontarrhena cilicica
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Alyssum cochleatum → Hormathophylla cochleata
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Alyssum condensatum → Odontarrhena condensata
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Alyssum constellatum → Odontarrhena constellata
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Alyssum corsicum → Odontarrhena corsica
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Alyssum corymbosoides → Odontarrhena corymbosoidea
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Alyssum crenulatum → Odontarrhena crenulata
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Alyssum curetum → Alyssum idaeum
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Alyssum cypricum → Odontarrhena cyprica
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Alyssum davisianum → Odontarrhena davisiana
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Alyssum davisianum → Odontarrhena davisiana
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Alyssum debarense → Odontarrhena debarensis
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Alyssum degenianum → Odontarrhena muralis
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Alyssum densistellatum → Alyssum montanum s.l.
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Alyssum desertorum → Alyssum turkestanicum
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Alyssum dimorphosepalum → Alyssum iranicum
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Alyssum discolor → Odontarrhena discolor
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Alyssum dubertretii → Odontarrhena dubertretii
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Alyssum dudleyi → Odontarrhena dudleyi
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Alyssum emarginatum → Bornmuellera emarginata
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Alyssum erigens → Alyssum vernale
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Alyssum eriophyllum → Odontarrhena eriophylla
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Alyssum euboeum → Odontarrhena euboea
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Alyssum fallacinum → Odontarrhena heldreichii
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Alyssum fedtschenkoanum → Odontarrhena fedtschenkoana
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Alyssum filiforme → Odontarrhena filiformis
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Alyssum floribundum → Odontarrhena floribunda
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Alyssum fragillimum → Odontarrhena fragillima
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Alyssum gadorense → Alyssum fastigiatum
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Alyssum gehamense → Odontarrhena gehamensis
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Alyssum gevgelicense → Odontarrhena gevgelicensis
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Alyssum giosnanum → Odontarrhena giosnana
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Alyssum globosum → Physaria globosa
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Alyssum gymnopodum → Odontarrhena tortuosa subsp. cretacea
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Alyssum hakaszkii → Odontarrhena obovata
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Alyssum haussknechtii → Odontarrhena haussknechtii
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Alyssum heldreichii → Odontarrhena heldreichii
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Alyssum heterotrichum → Meniocus heterotrichus
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Alyssum homalocarpum → Cuprella homalocarpa
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Alyssum huber-morathii → Odontarrhena huber-morathii
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Alyssum huetii → Meniocus huetii
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Alyssum kavadarcense → Odontarrhena kavadarcensis
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Alyssum klimesii → Ladakiella klimesii
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Alyssum kurdicum → Odontarrhena kurdica
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Alyssum lanigerum → Odontarrhena lanigera
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Alyssum leiocarpum → Alyssum minutum
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Alyssum lesbiacum → Odontarrhena lesbiaca
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Alyssum libanoticum → Odontarrhena libanotica
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Alyssum linifolium → Meniocus linifolius
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Alyssum longistylum → Odontarrhena tortuosa subsp. tortuosa
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Alyssum luteolum → Alyssum granatense?
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Alyssum markgrafii → Odontarrhena markgrafii
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Alyssum masmenaeum → Odontarrhena masmenaea
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Alyssum mazandaranicum → Alyssum turkestanicum
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Alyssum meniocoides → Meniocus meniocoides
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Alyssum microphylliforme → Odontarrhena tortuosa subsp. tortuosa?
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Alyssum mozaffarianii → Odontarrhena mozaffarianii
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Alyssum mughlaei → Odontarrhena mughlaei
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Alyssum murale → Odontarrhena muralis
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Alyssum musilii → Cuprella homalocarpa
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Alyssum nebrodense → Odontarrhena nebrodensis
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Alyssum obovatum → Odontarrhena obovata
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Alyssum obtusifolium → Odontarrhena obtusifolia
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Alyssum odoratum?
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Alyssum orbelicum → Odontarrhena orbelica
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Alyssum orbiculare → Odontarrhena obovata
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Alyssum ovirense → Alyssum wulfenianum subsp. ovirense
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Alyssum oxycarpum → Odontarrhena oxycarpa
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Alyssum pateri → Odontarrhena pateri
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Alyssum peltarioides → Odontarrhena peltarioidea
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Alyssum penjwinense → Odontarrhena penjwinensis
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Alyssum pinifolium → Odontarrhena pinifolia
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Alyssum polycladum → Odontarrhena polyclada
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Alyssum pterocarpum → Odontarrhena pterocarpa
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Alyssum robertianum → Odontarrhena robertiana
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Alyssum samariferum → Odontarrhena samarifera
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Alyssum samium → Odontarrhena samia
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Alyssum scardicum → Alyssum montanum s.l.
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Alyssum sergievskajae → Stevenia sergievskajae
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Alyssum serpentinum → Odontarrhena serpentina
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Alyssum serpyllifolium → Odontarrhena serpyllifolia
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Alyssum sibiricum → Odontarrhena sibirica
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Alyssum singarense → Odontarrhena singarensis
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Alyssum skopjense → Odontarrhena skopjensis
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Alyssum smolikanum → Odontarrhena smolikana
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Alyssum spruneri → Alyssum montanum s.l.
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Alyssum stipitatum → Odontarrhena stipitata
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Alyssum stylare → Meniocus stylaris
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Alyssum subbaicalicum → Odontarrhena obovata
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Alyssum subspinosum → Odontarrhena subspinosa
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Alyssum syriacum → Odontarrhena syriaca
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Alyssum szarabiacum → Odontarrhena szarabiaca
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Alyssum tavolarae → Odontarrhena tavolarae
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Alyssum tenium → Odontarrhena diffusa
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Alyssum tenuifolium → Stevenia tenuifolia
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Alyssum tortuosum → Odontarrhena tortuosa subsp. tortuosa
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Alyssum trapeziforme → Odontarrhena trapeziformis
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Alyssum troodi → Odontarrhena troodi
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Alyssum turgidum → Odontarrhena turgida
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Alyssum virgatum → Odontarrhena virgata