Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_0708.JPG-06-10-2017
Flower name (scientific): Berteroa incana (Linnaeus) Augustin Pyramus de Candolle PY: 1821. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) ber-TER-oh-a (or ber-ter-OH-a) in-KAN-nuh
Flower name (common): Hoary Alyssum
Family name (common): Mustard
Family name (scientific): Brassicaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: The genus name honors the Italian botanist Carlo Giuseppe Bertero.
    Specific epithet: The species name is Latin for quite grey, hoary.
Common name origin: Hoary, having white or grey hair. Alyssum from classical Latin alysson. Plants named Alysson or Alyssum are mentioned in the writings of (or attributed to) Dioscorides, Galen, and Pliny (OED).
Flower description:
     Size: 0.2 to 0.3 inches (5 to 8 mm) wide.
     Petal count: 4 petals which are deeply 2-lobed.
     Color: White
     Other: Flowers appear in a dense cluster.
Plant description: Erect
     Size: 10 to 28 inches (25 to 71 cm) tall.
     Stem hairy: densely pubescent
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is simple
     Size: Leaves about 4 to 8 cm long and about 1.3 cm wide.
     Color: grayish green
     Hairy: pubescent
     Other: Shape: leaf, (basal) oblanceolate (FNA).
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Introduced, naturalized.
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common
Bloom time (typical): May to September
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Annual to short-lived perennial.
Habitat: Roadsides, disturbed sites, fields, sun or part shade.
Fruit: Green colored silicle, about 5 to 9 mm in length, orbicular to elliptic-ovate, sparsely pubescent.
Seed: Approximately circular in cross section, slightly flattened, brown-colored, and about 1 to 2 mm in diameter.
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): No close lookalikes. The deeply divided white petals help to ID this species.
Ethnobotany:
Latitude:
Longitude:
Altitude:
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AK, AR, CO, CT, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (AB, BC, MB, NB, NS, ON, QC, SK) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: Alyssum incanum Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 2: 650. 1753.
Homotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 4 homotypic synonyms for this species.
Heterotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 14 heterotypic synonyms for this species.
Autonym: na
Wetland Status (NC): Not listed
Wetland Status (MW): Not listed