''Arabis'' ,''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995:606–607 or rockcress, is a genus of flowering plants, within the family Brassicaceae.

Description

The species are

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

, annual or perennial plants, growing to 10–80 cm tall, usually densely hairy, with simple entire to lobed

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

1–6 cm long, and small white four-petaled flowers. The fruit is a long, slender capsule containing 10-20 or more seeds. Natural habitat for ''Arabis'' species is rocky mountain/cliff sides or dry sites. Cultivation of ''Arabis'' is best suited for rock gardens or container gardens. This genus is pollinated by members of Apieae and Lepidoptera. Arabis aculeolata 4642

Taxonomy

Though traditionally recognized as a large genus with many

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...

and New World members, more recent evaluations of the relationships among these species using genetic data suggest there are two major groups within the old genus ''Arabis''. These two groups are not each other's closest relatives, so have been split into two separate genera. Most of the Old World members remain in the genus ''Arabis'', whereas most of the New World members have been moved into the genus '' Boechera'', with only a few remaining in ''Arabis''.Al-Shehbaz, Ihsan. Nomenclatural Notes on Eurasian Arabis (Brassicaceae). Novon 15: 519-524 (2005)

Species

;Selected species *'' Arabis aculeolata'' *''

Arabis alpina ''Arabis alpina'', the Alpine rock-cress, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native to mountainous areas of Europe, North and East Africa, Central and Eastern Asia and parts of North America. In the British Isles, it is only known t ...

'' (alpine rockcress) *''

Arabis armena ''Arabis armena'', the Armenian rockcress, is a species of rockcress that is found in Armenia and Nakhichevan (Azerbaijan). It grows at mid- and high-altitudes. It is threatened by the trampling of cattle. See also * List of ''Arabis'' spe ...

'' (Armenian rockcress) *''

Arabis auriculata ''Arabis auriculata'' is a herbaceous, flowering plant from the family Brassicaceae. It flowers from March to July. Besides the type form, René Maire described the ''Arabis auriculata'' f. ''umbrosa'' form. The species '' Draba nuda'' has been ...

'' *'' Arabis blepharophylla'' (coast rockcress) *''

Arabis caucasica ''Arabis caucasica'' is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) known by the common names garden arabis, mountain rock cress or Caucasian rockcress. Distribution It is native to south eastern Europe and the Mediterranea ...

'' *''

Arabis cypria ''Arabis cypria'' is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, endemic to mountainous areas of Northern Cyprus. Description ''Arabis cypria'' is a tufted perennial to 25 cm, the basal leaves softly hairy, in dense rosettes, spoon-shap ...

'' *''

Arabis glabra ''Arabis glabra'', commonly known as tower rockcress or tower mustard, is a tall, slim, grey-green plant with small creamy flowers at the top of the stem. It usually grows on poor chalky or sandy soils, in open situations. It is native to Europe, ...

'' (tower mustard) *''

Arabis hirsuta ''Arabis hirsuta'', known as hairy rock-cress, is a flowering plant of the genus ''Arabis'' in the family Brassicaceae Brassicaceae () or (the older) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonl ...

'' (hairy rockcress) *''

Arabis kazbegi ''Arabis kazbegi'', the Kazbegian rockcress, is a species of rockcress that is endemic to Georgia, and is known from Mtiuleti, the Devdaraki glacier, Mount Sabertse and Mount Kuro. It grows in subalpine and alpine moraines and scree at elevation ...

'' (Kazbegian rockcress) *''

Arabis kennedyae ''Arabis kennedyae'', the Troodos rockcress, is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is endemic to Cyprus. Its natural habitat is Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruc ...

'' *''

Arabis lemmonii ''Arabis lemmonii'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae known by the common name Lemmon's rockcress. It is native to western North America from Alaska to California to Colorado, where it grows in a number of rocky habitat t ...

'' *''

Arabis macdonaldiana ''Arabis macdonaldiana'' is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name MacDonald's rockcress. It is native to northern California and Oregon, where it grows on newly exposed, barren serpentine soils in openings in ...

'' *''

Arabis procurrens ''Arabis procurrens'', the running rockcress or spreading rock cress, is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is a spreading evergreen or semi-evergreen perennial, forming a dense mat of foliage, with loose racemes of ...

'' (spreading rock cress) *''

Arabis pycnocarpa ''Arabis pycnocarpa'', the slender rock cress, is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is native to North America and eastern Asia, being found in rocky, calcareous areas. Description It is a small perennial or biennia ...

'' (slender rock cress) *''

Arabis scabra ''Arabis scabra'', the Bristol rockcress, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native to the Bristol region, including the Avon Gorge. It grows in shallow soils, scree and rocky ledges. It has been introduced to other locati ...

'' (Bristol rockcress) *'' Arabis serotina''

Cultivation

Some species, notably ''Arabis alpina'', are cultivated as ornamental plants in gardens. Many others are regarded as weeds.

References

External links

Natural History Museum
{{Taxonbar, from=Q157396 Brassicaceae genera