Alyssum alyssoides

Sepals alyssum ( Alyssum alyssoides )

The sepals alyssum ( Alyssum alyssoides ) is an area in central Europe just as widely occurring member of the cabbage family ( Brassicaceae). It blooms mainly from April to September.

Appearance

The annual herbaceous plant reaches a height of about 8 to 25 cm. The root is thin and spindle-shaped. The stem grows erect or ascending at the base and has usually numerous ascending branches, which are as long or longer than the main stem. The shoots have at the top of grapes, consisting of 20 to 50 flowers. The leaves are lanceolate, the lower obovate, about 5 to 30 mm long, whitish on the underside by star hair, dyed pale gray-green on the upper side by loose hair. The flower stalks can reach a length of fully grown 2 to 5 mm and almost protruding horizontally. The crown is pale sulfur- yellow with about 2.5 to 4 mm long, slightly widened at the top, truncated to ausgerandeten petals and turns whitish at the end of flowering. The approximately 2 to 3 mm long sepals remain on the plants to fruit maturity. The little pods are stellate hairs, about 3 to 4, 5 mm long, almost round and provided with bulbous flaps. The longer stamens are without appendages, the shorter covered on both sides with a bristle. The stylus has a length of about 0.3 to 0.5 mm.

Ecology

The sepals alyssum is usually annual.

The flowers are tiny pale yellow " pollen disk flowers " without nectar glands. It is mainly spontaneous self-pollination by the stamens bend down before pollination to scar. The flowering period is mainly from April to September.

The distribution of seeds carried by strong winds.

Occurrence

Habitat requirements

The sepals alyssum grows in dry grassland communities. It prefers warm, open and often calcareous soils.

Popularization

Alyssum alyssoides occurs in Southern, Central and Eastern Europe. It is also found in Western Asia and northwest Africa. It is a sub-Mediterranean Florenelement. In Austria, the species is scattered before, during, is everywhere in Switzerland.

Distribution in Germany

The sepals alyssum comes in the middle and northeastern area scattered to widespread ago. In the north- west and south of the Danube, it is rare or absent.

Distribution in Austria

In Austria, the chalice alyssum occurs in all provinces scattered to rare. In the western Alps and the northern and south-eastern foothills of the Alps, it is considered endangered.

Trivial names

More in part only regional common names for the chalice alyssum are or were: Mählweiß ( Austria ), Schildkraut and alyssum.

Pictures

Foliage leaf surface with stellate hairs

Mature silicles with star hair - Indument

Winged seeds