''Iberis umbellata'', common name garden candytuft
or globe candytuft,
is a
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
Annual may refer to:
* Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year
**Yearbook
** Literary annual
* Annual plant
* Annual report
* Annual giving
* Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco
* Annuals (b ...
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
of the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
''
Iberis
''Iberis'' , commonly called candytuft, is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Brassicaceae. It comprises annuals, evergreen perennials and subshrubs native to the Old World. The name "candytuft" is not related to candy, but der ...
'' and the family
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae () or (the older) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some are shrubs. The le ...
.
Etymology
The genus name derives from "Iberia", the ancient name of Spain, while the species epithet comes from the Latin "umbel", meaning "umbrella" and refers to the shape of the inflorescence.
Description
The biological form of ''Iberis umbellata'' is ''
hemicryptophyte'' ''
scapose
This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary o ...
'',
[Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia – Edagricole – 1982. Vol. I, pag. 454] as its overwintering buds are situated just below the soil surface and the
floral axis
The floral axis (sometimes referred to as the receptacle) is the area of the flower upon which the reproductive organs and other ancillary organs are attached. It is also the point at the center of a floral diagram. Many flowers in division Angios ...
is more or less erect with a few leaves.
The stem is twisted at the base while the flowering branches are erect and leafy. This plant reaches a height of .
[ The leaves are green and linear-lanceolate, long.][ The flowers are in umbel-shaped ]corymb
Corymb is a botanical term for an inflorescence with the flowers growing in such a fashion that the outermost are borne on longer pedicels than the inner, bringing all flowers up to a common level. A corymb has a flattish top with a superficial re ...
s. The calyx is violet and the corolla is composed of four white, pink or purple petals. The petals are rounded at the apex, with the peripheral ones forming a large vexillum
The ''vexillum'' (; plural ''vexilla'') was a flag-like object used as a military standard by units in the Ancient Roman army.
Use in Roman army
The word ''vexillum'' is a derivative of the Latin word, ''velum'', meaning a sail, which con ...
long.[ The flowering period extends from May through June.][ The flowers are ]hermaphroditic
In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes.
Many taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrates) do not have separ ...
and pollinated by bees and butterflies. The fruit is a silique
A silique or siliqua (plural ''siliques'' or ''siliquae'') is a type of fruit (seed capsule) having two fused carpels with the length being more than three times the width. When the length is less than three times the width of the dried fruit i ...
long.
Distribution
This species is native to the Mediterranean region. It is present in most of Europe, especially along the coasts, from Spain to Greece and in northern America.[Iberis umbellata]
/ref>
Habitat
It grows in dry rocky hillsides, in bushy areas and in clearings, preferably on calcareous soils, at an altitude of above sea level.[
]
Gallery
File:2010-06-29 (3) plant.JPG, Plants of ''Iberis-umbellata''
File:2006-11-28Iberis10.jpg, Plant of ''Iberis-umbellata''
File:07964-Iberis-umbellata.jpg, Flowers of ''Iberis-umbellata''
File:Schleifenblume06.jpg, Flower of ''Iberis-umbellata''
File:Iberis umbellata 2017-04-23 8596.jpg, Seedlings.
References
The International Plant Name List
Acta Plantarum
Plants for a future
External links
Biolib
USDA
umbellata
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
{{Brassicales-stub