yellowtuft
(Alyssum murale)
This species is Introduced in the United States
ORIGIN: Mediterranean, Eurasia
GROWTH TRAITS: Alyssum murale is an herbaceous perennial growing up to 3.2’ tall (1 m) from a strong and fibrous root system. It produces hundreds of small, bright yellow flowers on branched umbels in early summer. Flowers have 4 petals and 6 stamens. Most leaves (the distinctive feature) are shed prior to the initiation of flowering, making the two species look nearly identical. Fruits are round and small (less than 0.2” or 5 mm in diameter). They are flattened, papery, and each contains a single seed. Leaves are alternate, more linear, and up to 1.2” (3 cm) long. They are covered with tiny hairs that give the leaves a dusty appearance.
REPRODUCTION: A. murale spreads by seed and can re-sprout from root systems left intact in the soil. It is unknown how long seeds remain viable.
HABITAT: Adapted to serpentine soils, as well as variable and harsh conditions, they can be found in pastures, fields, and waste areas in full sun to shaded understory.
LOOK-ALIKES: The symmetric flowers with four petals and six stamens help differentiate these species from non-Brassicaceae look-alikes. Several native and exotic Brassicaceae also have yellow flowers, however, these two species can be differentiated by their combination of height (up to 1 m), umbel inflorescences, and deciduous leaves prior to flowering. Leaf shape and coloration help differentiate these species from each other.
CITATIONS
Winston, R.L., Andreas, J.E., Milan, J., DesCamp, W., Randell, C.B., and M. Schwarzländer. 2014. New Invaders of the Northwest. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team. FHTET-2014-12. Retrieved from https://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/pdfs/FHTET-2014-12_NW_New_Invaders.pdf
GROWTH TRAITS: Alyssum murale is an herbaceous perennial growing up to 3.2’ tall (1 m) from a strong and fibrous root system. It produces hundreds of small, bright yellow flowers on branched umbels in early summer. Flowers have 4 petals and 6 stamens. Most leaves (the distinctive feature) are shed prior to the initiation of flowering, making the two species look nearly identical. Fruits are round and small (less than 0.2” or 5 mm in diameter). They are flattened, papery, and each contains a single seed. Leaves are alternate, more linear, and up to 1.2” (3 cm) long. They are covered with tiny hairs that give the leaves a dusty appearance.
REPRODUCTION: A. murale spreads by seed and can re-sprout from root systems left intact in the soil. It is unknown how long seeds remain viable.
HABITAT: Adapted to serpentine soils, as well as variable and harsh conditions, they can be found in pastures, fields, and waste areas in full sun to shaded understory.
LOOK-ALIKES: The symmetric flowers with four petals and six stamens help differentiate these species from non-Brassicaceae look-alikes. Several native and exotic Brassicaceae also have yellow flowers, however, these two species can be differentiated by their combination of height (up to 1 m), umbel inflorescences, and deciduous leaves prior to flowering. Leaf shape and coloration help differentiate these species from each other.
CITATIONS
Winston, R.L., Andreas, J.E., Milan, J., DesCamp, W., Randell, C.B., and M. Schwarzländer. 2014. New Invaders of the Northwest. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team. FHTET-2014-12. Retrieved from https://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/pdfs/FHTET-2014-12_NW_New_Invaders.pdf
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State Lists - This map identifies those states that have this species on their invasive species list or law.
Invasive Listing Sources
Taxonomic Rank
| Domain: Eukarya |
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Magnoliopsida |
| Superorder: Rosanae |
| Order: Brassicales |
| Family: Brassicaceae |
| Genus: Alyssum |
| Alyssum murale |
References
Common Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Scientific Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.