A modern reference to temperate woody plants, including updated content from this site and much new material, can be found at Trees and Shrubs Online.

Alyssum

Family

Cruciferae

A genus of about 150 species of annuals, biennials and perennials, natives of the Old World. A few of them are true shrubs of dwarf habit and of these the species described is the best known in gardens. The genus is also represented in cultivation by a form of the polymorphic A. murale Waldst. & Kit., usually grown under the invalid name A. argenteum Vitm., but this scarcely qualifies as a woody plant, which is also true of the well-known Alyssum saxatile. The latter, with a few allied species, is better placed in the genus Aurinia, in which its correct name is Aurinia saxatilis (L.) Desv.

Species articles

Alyssum spinosum L.

Modern name

Some names used by Bean have now been superseded and are no longer familiar. To ensure that all plants can be easily found, under any name, we have cross-referenced to The Plant List, a collaboration between RBG Kew, Missouri Botanical Gardens and other organisations, which aims to provide a currently accepted name for any plant. Not all taxonomists will agree with all Plant List nomenclature, but it provides a baseline to compare names. For each species above, clicking on the Modern Name will link to the entry for that name on The Plant List website.