2.
Aurinia saxatilis
(Linnaeus) Desvaux, J. Bot. Agric. 3: 162. 1815.
Basket-of-gold, gold-dust, rock-madwort
Alyssum saxatile
Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 650. 1753;
A. arduini
Fritsch
Plants
often woody at base; finely stellate-pubescent.
Stems:
usually several, 1-5 dm.
Basal leaves:
petiole 0.5-3(-4) cm, blade spatulate to obovate or lanceolate, (2.5-)4-8(-12) × 0.5-1.5(-2.5) cm, base cuneate to attenuate, margins entire, repand, or sinuate-dentate, apex acute or obtuse, surfaces densely pubescent.
Cauline leaves:
blade oblanceolate to linear.
Racemes
slightly elongated in fruit.
Fruiting pedicels
(3-)4.5-10 (-13) mm.
Flowers:
sepals yellowish, scarious at margins, finely pubescent, 1.5-2.3 × 0.5-1 mm; petals 3-6 × 1-2.5 mm, attenuate to clawlike base; filaments with basal wing or appendage to 0.5 mm, 1-2 mm; anthers 0.3-0.5 mm.
Fruits
divaricate-ascending, broadly obovate to orbicular, flattened, strongly latiseptate, 3.5-9 mm in diam.; style 0.5-1.5(-2.5) mm.
Seeds
winged throughout, 2-3 mm diam.; wing 0.3-1.1 mm wide.
2
n
= 16.
Flowering May-Jul. Ledges, cliffs, rocky slopes; introduced; Que.; Calif., Mass., Mich., Miss., N.H., Ohio, Vt.; c, se Europe; Asia (Turkey).
Aurinia saxatilis
is widely cultivated as an ornamental and likely naturalized in other states. It is highly variable in its native range (Turkey, southern and central Europe) and has been divided into three subspecies, of which subsp.
saxatilis
is naturalized in the flora area.
