Odontarrhena bertolonii


Odontarrhena bertolonii is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. Its native range is Central Italy, making it endemic to the region.

Description

A small subshrub, typically 20 centimeters tall, blooms from April to June.

Subtaxa

The following subspecies are accepted:
• Odontarrhena bertolonii subsp. bertolonii
• Odontarrhena bertolonii subsp. cesalpinoana Selvi

Uses

As a hyperaccumulator

Under the name Alyssum bertolonii, the species was analyzed in 1948 for its ability to concentrate unusually high amounts of heavy metals in above-ground tissues, specifically nickel, making it the first documented nickel hyperaccumulator plant. When first discovered, it was deduced that the species could become a means of searching for nickel deposits in the region.