Brassicaceae

Alyssum alyssoides

Pale Alyssum

Annual, few sprawling or ascending stems. Stems and leaves with hairs divided and spreading like stars. Leaves oblong to egg-shaped, undivided, entire. Flowers have linear petals, creamy yellow fading to white. Seedpod densely hairy, round with bulge over seed. Grows in disturbed or rocky places at mid elevations. Very similar to A. desertorum, desert madwort, which has hairless pods and is less common in our region.

• Rarity: Locally Common
• Flowering Time: All Spring
• Life Cycle: Annual, Biennial
• Height: 4--8 inches
• Habitat: Shrub-Steppe, Disturbed, Meadow
• Found In: Steens, Siskiyous
• Native: No