By Tom Schweich
I was walking through New Loveland Mine Park on Saturday morning and noticed two of our common weeds putting on a nice floral display. There are patches of small yellow flowers mixed in with patches of light magenta flowers.
Both plants are small annual weeds in the mustard family (Brassicaceae). The little yellow flowers have several common names, typically “Field Alison” or “European Madwort” and a scientific name of Alyssum simplex Rudolphi. This plant has small flying saucer-shaped seed pods that usually hold only one seed, hence the simplex in its scientific name.
The source of the common name of “Field Alison” is unclear. However, the common name "European Madwort" for Alyssum simplex refers to the plant's perceived ability to cure rabies, or madness. The Greek word "alyssa" means "without madness," suggesting the plant's use in treating madness-related conditions like rabies.
European madwort is native to southern Europe and as far east as Xinjiang (northwest China).
“Sweet alyssum” that we grow in our gardens is in a different genus — Lobularia maritima (L.)Desv. — and has many horticultural varieties with yellow, white, purple, or pink flowers.
The magenta flowers in the photo are those of “Crossflower” — Chorispora tenella (Pall.) DC. — referring to the very distinct X formed by the four petals of the flower. The seed pods are entirely different from the previous plant. They are long and skinny with a point at the end, almost looking like a thorn.
Crossflower is native to southeast and eastern Europe to China. It was first described by Peter Simon Pallas, who was a German explorer, botanist, zoologist, and taxonomist, working primarily in the Russian Empire between 1767 and 1810. Pallas wrote that he found it “… in the Caspian [Sea] desert in steep and nitrous places …” You probably have seen TikTok or other videos of Pallas Cats that bear his name as well as several other animals from eastern Russia. Pallas is also the person who applied the first valid scientific name to Ericameria nauseosa, our rubber rabbitbrush, though I prefer to use its first common name “Goldy-Locks” that was given to it by Thomas Nuttall.
References
Wikipedia contributors, "Caspian lowland desert," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspian_lowland_desert (accessed April 27, 2025).
Wikipedia contributors, "Pallas's cat," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pallas%27s_cat (accessed April 27, 2025).
Wikipedia contributors, "Peter Simon Pallas," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Simon_Pallas (accessed April 27, 2025).
