Alyssum

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Alyssum \A*lys"sum\ ([.a]*l[i^]s"s[u^]m), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
     'a`lysson, name of a plant, perh. fr. 'a priv. + ly`ssa
     raging madness.] (Bot.)
     A genus of cruciferous plants; madwort. The {sweet alyssum}
     ({Alyssum maritimum}), cultivated for bouquets, bears small,
     white, sweet-scented flowers.


     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  alyssum
       n 1: any garden plant of the genus Alyssum having clusters of
            small yellow or white flowers [syn: {madwort}]
       2: a genus of the family Cruciferae [syn: {genus Alyssum}]