Aubrieta

(also Aubrietia), a genus of low perennial herbaceous plants of the family Cruciferae. The plants generally form dense mats. The flowers are in few-flowered racemes. The two inner sepals are sac like, and the petals are violet, purple, lilac, or white. The fruits are short pods or, less frequently, silicles. There are about 12 species of Aubrieta, distributed eastward from the mountains of the Mediterranean region to Iran. The best-known species is Aubrieta deltoidea, which is found on the Balkan Peninsula and in Asia Minor. The plants are popular ornamentals in rock gardens and borders; they flower abundantly in the spring. Garden forms and varieties are mainly under cultivation; they are united under the name A. X cultorum.