Flora of New Zealand Series

alyssum

Usually perennial, rarely annual. Stems decumbent to ascending, hairy, leafy, branched below, 10-30-(45) cm tall. Lvs entire, hairy, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, subacute, 12-30 × 2-3-(4) mm. Racemes 4-15 cm long; fls crowded in globose heads; pedicels spreading, hairy, 6-7 mm long. Sepals hairy, 1.5-2 × 0.5-0.8 mm. Petals glabrous, entire, usually white, rarely purple, 2.5-3 × 1.5-2 mm. Silicle obovate, subacute, slightly inflated, 3-4 × 1.5-2.5 mm; valves membranous, glabrous or sparsely hairy. Style c. 0.6 mm long. Seeds brown, ovoid, compressed, very narrowly winged, c. 1.2 × 1 mm, 1 per locule.

N.; S.

S. Europe 1840

Frequent garden escape, thoroughly naturalised in many areas, especially near the coast.

This sp. has also been referred to in N.Z. as Alyssum maritimum and as Koniga maritima.