Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv., Brassicaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 8 (Go to the risk assessment).

Other Latin names:  Alyssum maritimum (L.) Lam.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: xiang xue qiu

English: alyssum, sweet alison, sweet alyssum, sweet-Alice

French: alysse corbeille d'argent, lobulaire maritime

Spanish: lágrimas de la virgen

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Herbs perennial, sometimes suffruticose, (5-) 12-24 (-40) cm tall, silvery pubescent. Stems erect, ascending, procumbent, or decumbent, basally branched; pubescent. Leaves linear, lanceolate, or oblanceolate, (1-) 1.5-2.5 (-4) cm x (0.8-) 1.5-3 (-6.5) mm, pubescent, base attenuate, margin entire, apex acute to subobtuse. Racemes many flowered, elongated considerably in fruit. Fruiting pedicels divaricate or ascending, straight, slender, (3-) 5-7 (-10) mm, pubescent. Sepals green or purple, oblong, 1.5-1.8 (-2.4) x 0.5-1 mm, pubescent. Petals white or deep purple, obovate or suborbicular, 2-3 x 1.5-2.5 (-3) mm, abruptly narrowed to claw; claw to 1 mm. Filaments white or purple, 1.2-2 mm; anthers ovate, 0.3-0.5 mm. Fruit ovate, elliptic, or orbicular, (2-) 2.3-3 (-4.2) x (1.2-) 1.5-2 (-3) mm; valves convex, pubescent, with a distinct midvein; style 0.4-0.6 mm. Seeds light to reddish brown, 1 per ovary, lenticular, ovate or suborbicular, (1-) 1.2-1.4 (-2) x (0.7-) 0.9-1.1 (-1.5), wingless or with a narrow wing to 0.1 mm wide"  (Flora of China online).

"Short-lived perennial herbs; stems grayish green, ascending or some decumbent, covered with appressed, branched hairs.  Leaves linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 1-3 cm long, 0.1-0.4 cm wide.  Flowers small, fragrant; petals ca 3 mm long; staminal filaments with 2 unequally sized glands at base.  Silicles obovate to suborbicular, 2.5-3.5 mm long, sparsely pubescent.  Seeds 1 per cell, ellipsoid, compressed, 1-1.5 mm long" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 409-411).

Habitat/ecology:  On Kure and Midway Atolls, "naturalized principally in sandy areas"; in Hawai‘i, grown in gardens and sparingly naturalized (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 409-411). In New Caledonia, "cultivé dans les jardins; il pousse aussi en adventice" (Jonsell, 1997; p. 102).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Around the Mediterranean; also cultivated and naturalized (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 19) "An escape from gardens, especially thriving in sandy soil". Voucher cited: L.A.S.J ohnson & A.N. Rodd 1211 (K, NSW)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 8) "An escape from gardens, especially thriving in sandy soil". Vouchers cited: P.S. Green 1437 (A), G. Uhe 1128 (K)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive cultivated	Cuevas, Jaime G./Marticorena, Alicia/Cavieres, Lohengrin A. (2004) (p. 536) Voucher cited: CONC 158047, JF 172
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive cultivated	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive cultivated	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 555)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (pp. 708-709) Voucher cited: DA 12183
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Tubuai Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Naturalisée
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (p. 9) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer & S. Holt H30117 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kure Atoll	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 409-411)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kure Atoll	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Martz, Kim/Loope, Lloyd (2001) (p. 14) Common and widespread over almost the entire island.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 409-411)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy W./Wagner, Warren L. (1995) (p. 27) Voucher cited: D. Lorence 6679 (PTBG, US)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 411) Voucher cited: Neal s.n. (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R. (1995) (pp. 17-18) Voucher cited: K. Ziegelbauer 20 (BISH)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 83)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 99) Not seen in this survey.
New Caledonia Îles Loyauté (Loyalte Islands)	Île Lifou	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 44) Voucher cited: MacKee 27263 Spontané
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 44) Vouchers cited: MacKee 28348, MacKee 30687, MacKee 36932 Spontané
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced cultivated	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 76)
Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn Islands	Pitcairn Island	introduced	St. John, H. (1987) (p. 35) Observed in 1934.
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Johnston Atoll	Johnston Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Amerson, A. Binion, Jr./Shelton, Philip C. (1976) (p. 55)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Eastern Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd (2008) (pp. B-10)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Midway Atoll	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 409-411)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Sand Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd (2008) (pp. B-10)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Spit Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd (2008) (pp. B-10)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive cultivated	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) Widespread garden escape. Naturalised
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive cultivated	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia Naturalised
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive cultivated	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) Naturalised
British Columbia (province of Canada) Province of British Columbia	Canada (British Columbia)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced invasive cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Stony areas, waste grounds, yards; sea level to 2000 m. Cultivated in most of China, naturalized in Gansu, Hebei, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Xinjiang, Zhejiang.
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 111) Ornamental.
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 183)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive cultivated	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 436) "Frequent garden escape, thoroughly naturalised in many areas, especially near the coast."
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Chile (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Stony areas, waste grounds, yards; sea level to 2000 m.
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced cultivated	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 118)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Canada Canada	Canada	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized

Control:  If you know of control methods for Lobularia maritima, please let us know.