Mastuerzo blanco
A plant belonging to the Cruciferae family, it was described in 1755 by the renowned Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus, based on material sent to him by fellow Swede Pehr Löefling. Löefling had travelled to Spain in preparation for a voyage to Venezuela. While awaiting royal permission for this journey, he collected and dispatched a large number of plants specimens from the Madrid area to his mentor.
Distribution
This species is endemism to the central region of the Iberian Peninsula, with populations primarily concentrated in eastern Toledo and southern of Madrid, as well as western Cuenca and southwestern Guadalajara. It is also found to a lesser extent in the centre of Ciudad Real and Albacete.
Habitat
It occurs at elevation between 400 and 800 metres, typically on chalky or sub-saline soils, where it forms part of chalky steppe and Mediterranean albardinar plant communities. It prefers open areas with sparse vegetation and can even be found in fallow fields after cereal harvest. The plant flowers from May to July, and fruits are produced from June to August.
Conservation
To date, no formal studies have been carried out to delimit population nuclei or to accurately estimate the number of populations. The main threats include agricultural activity, herbicide use, overgrazing, associated soil nitrification, scattered urban development, and the accumulation of waste in its habitat. These pressures have pushed populations in areas near the city of Albacete to the brink of extinction. Reforestation efforts in chalky areas also pose a threat. Nevertheless, seeds are conserved in most of the Spanish germplasm banks.
Image description
The optical microscope image shows two ovoid seeds, yellowish to almost orange in colour, each less than 1-millimetre-long, with a reticulate surface texture. The scanning electron microscope image presents a close-up of the seed’s insertion stalk at the basal end, revealing a pattern of deep, rounded alveoli (hollow cavities).
Visual touch photography
The scanning electron microscope image shows a detailed view of the seed´s insertion stalk at the basal end, featuring a pattern of deep, rounded alveoli. The seeds are yellowish to almost orange, measure less than 1 millimetre in length, and display a reticulate surface texture.