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Lobularia maritima

(L.) Desv. (1815)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Brassicales Family: Brassicaceae Genus: Lobularia

sweet alyssum

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: short-lived perennial herbs.

Stems: Stems grayish green, ascending or some decumbent, covered with appressed, branched hairs.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate or rarely opposite. Blades linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 1–3 cm long, 0.1–0.4 cm wide. Margins entire. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers usually bractless, in simple, terminal racemes. Flowers bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic or rarely slightly irregular; small, fragrant. Calyx of 4 sepals, deciduous, erect, usually oblong, sometimes the inner 2 with gibbous bases that hold the nectar. Corolla of 4 petals, white or occasionally pale purple, ca. 3 mm long. Stamens (2–4)6(–16), tetradynamous, the inner 4 usually in pairs, sometimes connate at base in pairs; staminal filaments with 2 unequally sized glands at base; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, 2(4?)-carpellate, usually 2-celled by means of a false, but usually complete septum, rarely 1-celled, sessile or rarely stipitate; ovules 1 to numerous, borne on parietal placentas on replum margin at periphery of ovary wall, campylotropous or occasionally anatropous; style 1, very short; stigma capitate or rarely decurrent, entire or 2-lobed.

Fruit: Capsules divided into 2 cells by the usually thin and membranous septum; elongate (at least 3 times as long as wide) and referred to as a silique; compressed parallel to the septum; obovate to suborbicular; 2.5–3.5 mm long; sparsely pubescent; the style persistent. Seeds 1 per cell; ellipsoid; compressed; 1–1.5 mm long; often becoming mucilaginous when wet; endosperm essentially absent.

Ploidy: 2n = 22–24

Habitat: naturalized principally in sandy areas on Kure Atoll and Midway Atoll; but also apparently sparingly naturalized on Maui.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Mokupāpapa (Kure atoll) Naturalized
Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) Naturalized
Kaua'i Only found in cultivation
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Other Animals

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: J. Bot. Agric. 3: 169 (1815)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:409 (Ku, Mi, M); Lorence et al. 1995:27 (Mo); Wagner & Herbst 1995:17 (O); Oppenheimer 2003:9 (H); Staples & Herbst 2005:200 (KEY), 203 (DESCR); Starr & Starr 2018:4 (EM, high elev. record)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Lobularia maritima Along Saddle Road, Pohakuloa Training Area, between 30 and 45 mile markers, within 60 feet of the road. Preserved_Specimen Funk, E.J. 53 Hawaii BISH 1990-12-13
2 Lobularia maritima Pamakane Preserved_Specimen (Not on sheet) Maui BISH 2010-04-22
3 Lobularia maritima Kahuku Hospital sandy coral Preserved_Specimen globose flowers, herbaceous McCulloch, R. 45 Oahu BISH 1975-04-11
4 Lobularia maritima East Maui, Science City, near PanSTARRS telescope. Sparse subalpine rockland with Leptecophylla tameiameiae, Deschampsia nubigena, and Oenothera stricta var. stricta. Preserved_Specimen Single plant seen and pulled. Also collected at Kalahaku. Naturalized. Starr, F. 17050501 Maui BISH 2017-05-05
5 Lobularia maritima Open field with moist soil. Preserved_Specimen Non-native. Upiquitous on island. Flowers are small, white and have sweet floral scent. Al-Bayer, S. Kure Atoll BISH 2018-10-10
6 Lobularia maritima S Kohala District, Waimea Roadside. Preserved_Specimen Weed; flowers white. Oppenheimer, H.L. 30117 Hawaii BISH 2001-03-10
7 Lobularia maritima East Maui, Makawao District, Kula, crest of Kekaulike Ave Associated vegetation: Jacaranda, Pennisetum clandestinum. Preserved_Specimen Herb, lvs gray-green; flowers white-lavender, sweet scent; fruit small brown capsules. Starr, F. 8318 Maui BISH 2000-08-31
8 Lobularia maritima Kahuku Golfcourse/Cemetry sandy clay Preserved_Specimen Heads of small, white, somewhat fragrant flowers. Small, narrow, entire leaves, 1-3, plant branches, 6-12 high Tiu, C. 40 Oahu BISH 1975-02-08
9 Lobularia maritima Kure Atoll In cleared areas on island. Preserved_Specimen Burr, T. Kure Atoll BISH 1978-04-20
10 Lobularia maritima East Maui, above Kalahaka Overlook, Haleakala Associated vegetation: Pukiawe, silversword, and other alpine plants. Preserved_Specimen Low, spreading herb 7-8cm ht, 10cm diameter; lvs green aging to yellow-red, 8mm x 2mm, pubescence appressed, occasionally branched; flowers white, 2-3mm, sweet scent almost honey-like. Starr, F. 8141 Maui BISH 2000-08-14
11 Lobularia maritima Punaluu Ranch rocky clay Preserved_Specimen Avilla, J.J. 41 Oahu BISH 1975-03-10
12 Lobularia maritima Kalaupapa; peninsula, Protestant cemetary 50 m S of cattleguard, roadside Preserved_Specimen perennial herb Wysong, M.L. 597 Molokai BISH 2005-01-28
13 Lobularia maritima Kekaulike Hwy margin of gulch Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 5671 Oahu BISH 1986-07-12
14 Lobularia maritima Kahuku Golfcourse/Cemetry waste areas, fields and pastures Preserved_Specimen small shrub, pods have 2 seeds, linear. Small white flowers, aromatic Ziegelbauer, K. 20 Oahu BISH 1975-02-18
15 Lobularia maritima 42 Coelho Way garden Preserved_Specimen small border plants Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1940-09-08
16 Lobularia maritima Hawaii National Park, Residence Area Preserved_Specimen fls. white, 6 stamens, 4 petals, yellow anthers. Herb, several stems from 1 base Fagerlund, G.O. 119 Hawaii BISH 1942-11-02
17 Lobularia maritima Green Island Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 6291 Kure Atoll BISH 1979-01-04
18 Lobularia maritima Kahuku Golfcourse/Cemetry sandy clay Preserved_Specimen Heads of small, white, somewhat fragrant flowers. Small, narrow, entire leaves, 1-3, plant branches, 6-12 high Lee, P. 10 Oahu BISH 1975-02-08
19 Lobularia maritima Koloa, Lawai Valley, National Tropical Botanical Garden along road in Pritchardia planting Preserved_Specimen Herb of 8 used as groundcover, stems and lvs glossy pale to medium green, calyx lobes 4, petals 4-white, stamens 6. Oddly fragrant, a mixture of wet dog and sweet flowers (8:45 am) Flynn, T.W. 5723 Kauai BISH 1995-03-06
20 Lobularia maritima U.H. Campus, Maile Way, the cluster of buildings seaward of Hale Manoa partial shade Preserved_Specimen diffuse subshrub 15 cm. Flowers white Lau, J. 1886 Oahu BISH 1986-01-21
21 Lobularia maritima West Maui, Lahaina District, Alaeloa Volunteer in nursery pot. Preserved_Specimen Petals white, widely ovate. Oppenheimer, H.L. 80312 Maui BISH 2003-08-25
22 Lobularia maritima Kula, near foot of Haleakala Rd scattered in pasture on gently sloping volcanic soil Preserved_Specimen Fosberg, F.R. 55675 Maui BISH 1975-03-14
23 Lobularia maritima 42 Coelho Way Preserved_Specimen Fls. white. Normal-sized plant Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1939-09-09
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