Sweet alyssum

Appearance

It is an annual plant growing to 5–30 cm tall by 20–30 cm broad. The stem is very branched, with dense clusters of small flowers. The leaves are 1–4 mm long and 3–5 mm, broad, alternate, sessile, quite hairy, oval to lanceolate, with an entire margin.

The flowers are about 5 millimetres in diameter, sweet-smelling, with four white rounded petals and four sepals. The six stamens have yellow anthers. The flowers are produced throughout the growing season, or year-round in areas free of frost. They are pollinated by insects. The fruits are numerous elongated seedpods rather hairy, oval to rounded, each containing two seeds. The dispersal of seed is effected by the wind

Naming

The genus name "Lobularia" comes from the a Greek word meaning "small pod", referring to the shape of the fruits. The name of the species "maritima" refers to its preferred coastal habitat.

Distribution

This plant is native to the Mediterranean region, Macaronesia and in France in the Bay of Biscay. It is widely naturalized elsewhere in the temperate world. There is an endemic subspecies in the local flora of the Columbretes Islands.

Habitat

It is common on sandy beaches and dunes, but can also grow on cultivated fields, walls, slopes and waste ground, preferably on calcareous soil, at an altitude of 0–300 metres above sea level.