Iberis

Iberis
	Perennial candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Brassicales
Family:	Brassicaceae
Genus:	Iberis; L.
Species
	~30; see text

Iberis /aɪˈbɪərɪs/,^[1] commonly called candytuft, is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Brassicaceae. It comprises annuals, evergreen perennials and subshrubs native to the Old World.^[2] The name "candytuft" is not related to candy, but derives from Candia, the former name of Iraklion on the Island of Crete.^[3]

In the language of flowers, the candytuft symbolizes indifference.^[4]

Species

Iberis consists of about 30 species of annuals, perennials and evergreen subshrubs. Some of the better known are:

Iberis amara - rocket candytuft, bitter candytuft, wild candytuft
Iberis ciliata
Iberis gibraltarica - Gibraltar candytuft
Iberis linifolia
Iberis procumbens - dune candytuft
Iberis saxatilis - rock candytuft
Iberis sempervirens - evergreen candytuft, perennial candytuft
Iberis umbellata - globe candytuft

They are used as ornamental plants for rock gardens, bedding, and borders in full sun or light shade.

Trophic connections

These plants provide nourishment for a number of insect species of which the rare Euchloe tagis butterfly is the most striking example as it is monophagous on species in this genus. ^[5]^[6]

Biochemical defenses

Species in the genus Iberis contain not only glucosinolates, which are characteristic chemical defenses of the Brassicaceae plant family, but also cucurbitacins,^[7] which are better known as chemical defenses in the Cucurbitaceae plant family. Cucurbitacins from Iberis amara have antifeedant activity against the Brassicaceae-feeding specialist Pieris rapae (cabbage butterfly).^[8] Cucurbitacins from Iberis umbellata (globe candytuft) are ecdysteroid antagonists, acting on the ecdysteroid receptor of insects.^[9]

References

^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
^ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
^ Shorter Oxford English dictionary, 6th ed. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. 2007. p. 3804. ISBN 978-0199206872.
^ "Language of Flowers - Flower Meanings, Flower Sentiments". www.languageofflowers.com. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
^ de Viedma, M. G.; Escribano, R.; Gómez-Bustillo, M. R.; Mattoni, R. H. T. (1985-01-01). "The first attempt to establish a nature reserve for the conservation of lepidoptera in Spain". Biological Conservation. 32 (3): 255–276. Bibcode:1985BCons..32..255D. doi:10.1016/0006-3207(85)90113-2. ISSN 0006-3207.
^ Marabuto, Eduardo; Pina-Martins, Francisco; Rebelo, Maria Teresa; Paulo, Octávio S. (2020). "Ancient divergence, a crisis of salt and another of ice shaped the evolution of the west Mediterranean butterfly Euchloe tagis". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 131 (3): 487–504. doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blaa129. hdl:10451/45515.
^ Nielsen, Jens Kvist; Larsen, Lone Melchior; Søorensen, Hilmer (1977-01-01). "Cucurbitacin E and I in Iberis amara: Feeding inhibitors for Phyllotreta nemorum". Phytochemistry. 16 (10): 1519–1522. Bibcode:1977PChem..16.1519N. doi:10.1016/0031-9422(77)84014-4. ISSN 0031-9422.
^ Sachdev-Gupta, Kusum; Radke, Celia D.; Renwick, J. Alan A. (1993-08-12). "Antifeedant activity of cucurbitacins from Iberis amara against larvae of Pieris rapae". Phytochemistry. The International Journal of Plant Biochemistry. 33 (6): 1385–1388. Bibcode:1993PChem..33.1385S. doi:10.1016/0031-9422(93)85096-A. ISSN 0031-9422.
^ Dinan, Laurence; Whiting, Pensri; Girault, Jean-Pierre; Lafont, René; Dhadialla, S. Tarlochan; Cress, E. Dean; Mugat, Bruno; Antoniewski, Christophe; Lepesant, Jean-Antoine (1997-11-01). "Cucurbitacins are insect steroid hormone antagonists acting at the ecdysteroid receptor". Biochemical Journal. 327 (3): 643–650. doi:10.1042/bj3270643. ISSN 0264-6021. PMC 1218839. PMID 9581538.

External links

More information at Texas A&M

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[1] Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607

[RHSAZ-2] RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.

[3] Shorter Oxford English dictionary, 6th ed. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. 2007. p. 3804. ISBN 978-0199206872.

[4] "Language of Flowers - Flower Meanings, Flower Sentiments". www.languageofflowers.com. Retrieved 2016-11-26.

[5] Viedma, M. G.; Escribano, R.; Gómez-Bustillo, M. R.; Mattoni, R. H. T. (1985-01-01). "The first attempt to establish a nature reserve for the conservation of lepidoptera in Spain". Biological Conservation. 32 (3): 255–276. Bibcode:1985BCons..32..255D. doi:10.1016/0006-3207(85)90113-2. ISSN 0006-3207.

[6] Marabuto, Eduardo; Pina-Martins, Francisco; Rebelo, Maria Teresa; Paulo, Octávio S. (2020). "Ancient divergence, a crisis of salt and another of ice shaped the evolution of the west Mediterranean butterfly Euchloe tagis". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 131 (3): 487–504. doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blaa129. hdl:10451/45515.

[7] Nielsen, Jens Kvist; Larsen, Lone Melchior; Søorensen, Hilmer (1977-01-01). "Cucurbitacin E and I in Iberis amara: Feeding inhibitors for Phyllotreta nemorum". Phytochemistry. 16 (10): 1519–1522. Bibcode:1977PChem..16.1519N. doi:10.1016/0031-9422(77)84014-4. ISSN 0031-9422.

[8] Sachdev-Gupta, Kusum; Radke, Celia D.; Renwick, J. Alan A. (1993-08-12). "Antifeedant activity of cucurbitacins from Iberis amara against larvae of Pieris rapae". Phytochemistry. The International Journal of Plant Biochemistry. 33 (6): 1385–1388. Bibcode:1993PChem..33.1385S. doi:10.1016/0031-9422(93)85096-A. ISSN 0031-9422.

[9] Dinan, Laurence; Whiting, Pensri; Girault, Jean-Pierre; Lafont, René; Dhadialla, S. Tarlochan; Cress, E. Dean; Mugat, Bruno; Antoniewski, Christophe; Lepesant, Jean-Antoine (1997-11-01). "Cucurbitacins are insect steroid hormone antagonists acting at the ecdysteroid receptor". Biochemical Journal. 327 (3): 643–650. doi:10.1042/bj3270643. ISSN 0264-6021. PMC 1218839. PMID 9581538.

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