SafePlants

Lyre-leaved Rock Cress (Arabidopsis lyrata)

Arabidopsis lyrata, also known as Lyrate Rockcress or Lyreleaf Rockcress, is a flowering plant with delicate white flowers.

Considerations for Pets

• This plant grows in areas that may contain dry sands.
• The plant has small white flowers with 4 petals and 6 yellow stamens.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Arabidopsis lyrata (L.) O'Kane & Al-Shehbaz
• Common Names: Lyrate Rockcress, Lyre-leaved Rock Cress, Sand Cress
• Family: Brassicaceae (Mustard family)
• Synonyms: Arabis lyrata, Cardaminopsis petraea
• Subspecies: Arabidopsis lyrata subsp. lyrata, Arabis lyrata ssp. kamchatica, Arabis lyrata var. kamchatica

Distribution and Habitat

• Arabidopsis lyrata thrives in sunny, sparsely vegetated sites.
• It prefers dry sands of low productivity and shallow pockets of soil on rocks.
• It has a circumpolar distribution, with local varieties such as var. kamtschatica.
• Observed in Baltimore Co., Maryland, Door County, Wisconsin, and Vilas County, Wisconsin.

Morphology and Growth

• Arabidopsis lyrata is a biennial or perennial, growing to approximately 0.3 meters (1 foot) in height.
• The flowers are hermaphrodite.
• Basal leaves are lyrate and deeply lobed; stem leaves are smaller, linear, and unlobed.

Genetic Information

• Genome sequence has been reported.
• Comparisons have been made with the genome of Arabidopsis thaliana.
• Chromosome information is available, with specific mentions of "At Chr4. Al sca7" and others.

Ecological Role

• The plant grows in sunny, sparsely vegetated sites, including dry sands of low productivity and shallow pockets of soil on rocks.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• The plant is self-incompatible, requiring outcrossing for reproduction.

Resources and Further Information

• USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
• Discover Life
• JGI genomic project, Phytozome