Arabidopsis lyrata
species of plant
Arabidopsis lyrata, the lyrate rockcress, is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, closely related to the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana.
Description
Arabidopsis lyrata are diploid plants that have a life span of two or more years, small white flowers and highly distinct basal leaves with a height of 10–40 centimetres (4–16 in). The stem leaves are arranged alternately, with linear and slightly curved margins that are smooth and having a base that is tapered. The leaves of Arabidopsis lyrata have glucosinolates and trichomes as defense mechanisms against insect herbivores, and any other potential threats, such as fires and human activity.
"The flowers on this species are quite tiny, ranging from 3–8 mm in size, they are pure white with four lobes, and are borne on wide rising pedicels, that range from 7 to 12 mm in length." These plants are insect pollinated and tend to bloom between the months of May right through June and produces fruits in early August. The fruit of Arabidopsis lyrata are about 2–4.5 millimetres (0.08–0.18 in) in length, elongated, and papery, while the seeds are 1 mm (0.04 in) long, and are arranged in a row .
Habitat and range
Arabidopsis lyrata is found largely in subarctic or subalpine environments with thin soils, such as rock faces, eskers and talus slopes, or exposed coastal zones. Individual plants may form solitary rosettes, and are able to reproduce asexually through clonal patches. Lastly, Arabidopsis does not survive in agro-ecosystems in which weeds are rampant; it performs best under low competition and therefore has a life cycle that depends on germination, growth, and the setting of seeds in a very short amount of time before other species of plants can prevent light access.
Arabidopsis lyrata has a circumpolar distribution, meaning it is found across northern and central Europe, Asia, and North America.
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This entry incorporates text from “Arabidopsis lyrata” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.