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Alyssum simplex. Synonyms: Alyssum parviflorum, Alyssum minus. (Wild
Alyssum, Madwort). Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Foothills. Disturbed areas, fields. Spring. Wild Alyssum is a very common introduced species that carpets large areas of fields and roadsides in the very early spring. Its stems are straight, flowers are tiny and bright yellow, and its seeds are persistent, flattened, round, and hairy. A great many plants were eaten, used medicinally, or used for clothing, fuel, and building by humans who populated the earth before supermarkets and Home Depots. Wild Alyssum’s scientific name refers to its past use as a supposed cure for rabies: from the Greek "a" ("without") "lyssum" ("madness"). "Parviflorum" is Latin for "small flower". "Simplex" is Latin for "simple", in the sense of "unbranched". Linnaeus named the Alyssum genus in 1753. In 1756 he named this species Clypeola minor. The name was changed to Alyssum parviflorum in 1819 by Friedrich Fischer and to Alyssum minus in 1941 by Werner Rothmaler. The Synthesis of the North American Flora now accepts Alyssum simplex, given around 1800 by Karl Rudolphi. |
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Alyssum simplex. Synonyms: Alyssum parviflorum, Alyssum minus. (Wild
Alyssum, Madwort). Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Foothills. Disturbed areas, fields. Spring. |
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Alyssum simplex. Synonyms: Alyssum parviflorum, Alyssum minus. (Wild
Alyssum, Madwort). Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Foothills. Disturbed areas, fields. Spring. A myriad of tiny, round, yellow/green seeds on an elongated stalk, follow the flowers of Alyssum simplex. The pink dots are the flowers of Erodium cicutarium. |
Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state
Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Eradicated
Questionable presence