Iberis

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Iberis+sempervirens.jpg | image_caption = Perennial candytuft (''Iberis sempervirens'') | taxon = Iberis | authority = Dill. ex L. | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = ~30; see text | synonyms = ''Biauricula'' {{small|Bubani}} | synonyms_ref = <ref name = powo>{{cite web |title=''Iberis'' Dill. ex L. |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30024607-2 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=29 September 2025}}</ref> }}

'''''Iberis''''' ({{IPAc-en|aɪ|ˈ|b|ɪər|ᵻ|s}} {{respell|eye|BEER|iss}}),<ref>''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995:606–607</ref> 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.<ref name=RHSAZ>{{cite book|title=RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants|year=2008|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-1405332965|pages=1136}}</ref> Species are native to the Mediterranean basin (southern Europe and North Africa), Western Asia, the Caucasus, and western Europe.<ref name = powo/> The name "candytuft" is not related to candy, but derives from ''Candia'', the former name of Iraklion on the Island of Crete.<ref>{{cite book|title=Shorter Oxford English dictionary, 6th ed.|year=2007|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-0199206872|pages=3804}}</ref>

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

In the language of flowers, the candytuft symbolizes indifference.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.languageofflowers.com/flowermeaning.htm|title=Language of Flowers - Flower Meanings, Flower Sentiments|website=www.languageofflowers.com|access-date=2016-11-26}}</ref>

==Species== 32 species are accepted.<ref name = powo/> {{div col}} *''Iberis amara'' {{small|L.}} – rocket candytuft, bitter candytuft, wild candytuft *''Iberis atlantica'' {{small|(Litard. & Maire) Greuter & Burdet}} *''Iberis attica'' {{small|Jord.}} *''Iberis aurosica'' {{small|Chaix}} *''Iberis balansae'' {{small|Jord.}} *''Iberis bernardiana'' {{small|Gren. & Godr.}} *''Iberis carica'' {{small|(Bornm.) Prain}} *''Iberis carnosa'' {{small|Willd.}} *''Iberis ciliata'' {{small|All.}} *''Iberis contracta'' {{small|Pers.}} *''Iberis fontqueri'' {{small|Pau}} *''Iberis gibraltarica'' {{small|L.}} – Gibraltar candytuft *''Iberis grosii'' {{small|Pau}} *''Iberis gypsicola'' {{small|Yıld.}} *''Iberis halophila'' {{small|Vural & H.Duman}} *''Iberis intermedia'' {{small|Guers.}} *''Iberis linifolia'' {{small|L.}} *''Iberis nazarita'' {{small|Moreno}} *''Iberis odorata'' {{small|L.}} *''Iberis pectinata'' {{small|Boiss. & Reut.}} *''Iberis peyerimhoffii'' {{small|Maire}} *''Iberis pinnata'' {{small|L.}} *''Iberis procumbens'' {{small|Lange}} – dune candytuft *''Iberis runemarkii'' {{small|Greuter & Burdet}} *''Iberis saxatilis'' {{small|L.}} – rock candytuft *''Iberis semperflorens'' {{small|L.}} *''Iberis sempervirens'' {{small|L.}} – evergreen candytuft, perennial candytuft *''Iberis simplex'' {{small|DC.}} *''Iberis spathulata'' {{small|DC.}} *''Iberis spruneri'' {{small|Jord.}} *''Iberis timeroyi'' {{small|Jord.}} *''Iberis umbellata'' {{small|L.}} – globe candytuft {{div col end}}

==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.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=de Viedma|first1=M. G.|last2=Escribano|first2=R.|last3=Gómez-Bustillo|first3=M. R.|last4=Mattoni|first4=R. H. T.|date=1985-01-01|title=The first attempt to establish a nature reserve for the conservation of lepidoptera in Spain|url=https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2F0006-3207%2885%2990113-2|journal=Biological Conservation|language=en|volume=32|issue=3|pages=255–276|doi=10.1016/0006-3207(85)90113-2|bibcode=1985BCons..32..255D |issn=0006-3207|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Marabuto|first1=Eduardo|last2=Pina-Martins|first2=Francisco|last3=Rebelo|first3=Maria Teresa|last4=Paulo|first4=Octávio S.|title=Ancient divergence, a crisis of salt and another of ice shaped the evolution of the west Mediterranean butterfly Euchloe tagis|url=https://academic.oup.com/biolinnean/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biolinnean/blaa129/5913157|journal=Biological Journal of the Linnean Society|year=2020|volume=131|issue=3|pages=487–504|language=en|doi=10.1093/biolinnean/blaa129|hdl=10451/45515|hdl-access=free}}</ref>

==Biochemical defenses== Species in the genus ''Iberis'' contain not only glucosinolates, which are characteristic chemical defenses of the Brassicaceae plant family, but also cucurbitacins,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Nielsen|first1=Jens Kvist|last2=Larsen|first2=Lone Melchior|last3=Søorensen|first3=Hilmer|date=1977-01-01|title=Cucurbitacin E and I in Iberis amara: Feeding inhibitors for Phyllotreta nemorum|url=https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2F0031-9422%2877%2984014-4|journal=Phytochemistry|language=en|volume=16|issue=10|pages=1519–1522|doi=10.1016/0031-9422(77)84014-4|bibcode=1977PChem..16.1519N |issn=0031-9422|url-access=subscription}}</ref> 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).<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Sachdev-Gupta|first1=Kusum|last2=Radke|first2=Celia D.|last3=Renwick|first3=J. Alan A.|date=1993-08-12|title=Antifeedant activity of cucurbitacins from Iberis amara against larvae of Pieris rapae|journal=Phytochemistry|series=The International Journal of Plant Biochemistry|language=en|volume=33|issue=6|pages=1385–1388|doi=10.1016/0031-9422(93)85096-A|bibcode=1993PChem..33.1385S |issn=0031-9422|doi-access=free}}</ref> Cucurbitacins from ''Iberis umbellata'' (globe candytuft) are ecdysteroid antagonists, acting on the ecdysteroid receptor of insects.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Dinan|first1=Laurence|last2=Whiting|first2=Pensri|last3=Girault|first3=Jean-Pierre|last4=Lafont|first4=René|last5=Dhadialla|first5=S. Tarlochan|last6=Cress|first6=E. Dean|last7=Mugat|first7=Bruno|last8=Antoniewski|first8=Christophe|last9=Lepesant|first9=Jean-Antoine|date=1997-11-01|title=Cucurbitacins are insect steroid hormone antagonists acting at the ecdysteroid receptor|url=https://portlandpress.com/biochemj/article-abstract/327/3/643/34040/Cucurbitacins-are-insect-steroid-hormone?redirectedFrom=fulltext|journal=Biochemical Journal|language=en|volume=327|issue=3|pages=643–650|doi=10.1042/bj3270643|issn=0264-6021|pmc=1218839|pmid=9581538}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{EB1911 poster|Candytuft}} *[http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/wildseed/22/22.4.html More information at Texas A&M]

Category:Iberis Category:Brassicaceae genera Category:Plants described in 1753 Category:Medicinal plants