- Scientific name: Arabidopsis lyrata (L.) O'Kane & Al-Shehbaz
- Synonym: Arabis lyrata L.
- Species of Greatest Conservation Need (MA State Wildlife Action Plan)
- Endangered (MA Endangered Species Act)
Description
Lyre-leaved rock-cress (Arabidopsis lyrata) in flower. Photo credit: Arthur Haines, Native Plant Trust.
Lyre-leaved rock-cress (Arabidopsis lyrata) is a small, pubescent perennial or biennial mustard (family Brassicaceae), with small white flowers and distinctive, pinnately lobed (or “lyre-shaped”) basal leaves. Lyre-leaved rock-cress is a slender, branching plant, which reaches 10-40 cm (4-15.7 in) in height. The basal leaves are hairy, and 2-4 cm (0.8-1.6 in.) in length. The stem leaves are alternate and linear to slightly spoon-shaped, with smooth margins and a tapering base. The flowers are tiny (3-8 mm; 0.1-0.3 in.), pure white, and four-lobed, and are borne on widely ascending pedicels, 7-12 mm (0.2-0.3 in.) in length. The fruits, or siliques, are 2-4.5 cm (0.8-1.8 in.) long and about 1 mm (0.04 in) in) in width. The seeds, 1 mm (0.04 (0.04 in) in length, are arranged in one row, and are wingless.
Lyre-leaved rock-cress might be confused with other species in the mustard family; it is most similar to Hairy rock-cress (Arabis pycnocarpa),Drummond’s rock-cress (Boechera stricta), sicklepod (Borodinia canadensis), green rock-cress (B. missouriensis; threatened), smooth rock-cress (B. laevigata; special concern), and tower mustard (Turritis glabra). All of these are generally larger plants than lyre-leaved rock-cress. Most of these species have winged fruits, larger siliques, and flowers that are not pure white.
Life cycle and behavior
Lyre-leaved rock-cress is a biennial or short-lived perennial species, blooming in mid-May through June and producing fruit into early August. It may take more than 2 years for a plant to reach maturity. The flowers are pollinated by insects, primarily by small narrow-waisted wasps (Apocrita group) and flies, as well as other generalist pollinator species (Sánchez-Castro et al. 2022). Lyre-leaved rock-cress is also capable of self-pollination with the help of pollinators, particularly in small populations. The seeds geminate in the autumn or spring in response to cool temperatures and moisture. Individual plants have been tracked both in the field and in greenhouse situations and have lived for up to 8 years.
Population status
Lyre-leaved rock-cress (Arabidopsis lyrata) basal rosettes of leaves. Photo credit: Arthur Haines, Native Plant Trust.
Lyre-leaved rock-cress is listed under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act as Endangered. All listed species are legally protected from killing, collection, possession, or sale, and from activities that would destroy habitat and thus directly or indirectly cause mortality or disrupt critical behaviors. In Massachusetts, lyre-leaved rock-cress is currently known from 8 locations in Berkshire County and is historically known from 1 location in Hampden County. Only two populations currently have numbers indicative of long-term survival.
Lyre-leaved rock-cress fruits. Photo credit: Arthur Haines, Native Plant Trust
Distribution and abundance
Lyre-leaved rock-cress, and in particular sub-species lyrata (the one occurring in Massachusetts) has a broad range, encompassing much of the eastern and mid-western United States south to North Carolina, and west through central and western Canada, and Alaska (where it is considered introduced). It is considered critically imperiled in Delaware, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Ohio, as well as Manitoba in Canada; imperiled in North Carolina and Vermont. It is possibly extirpated in Georgia, Mississippi and Montana.
Distribution in Massachusetts
1999-2024
Based on records in the Natural Heritage Database
Habitat
In Massachusetts, lyre-leaved rock-cress inhabits thin soils and crevices of calcareous rocky cliffs, outcrops, and ledges, in full to filtered sun. Associated species include broad-leaved ragwort (Packera obovata), early saxifrage (Micranthes virginiensis), ebony spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron), harebell (Campanula rotundifolia), hickories (Carya spp.), rusty woodsia (Woodsia ilvensis), and wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis).
Healthy habitats are vital for supporting native wildlife and plants. Explore habitats and learn about conservation and restoration in Massachusetts.
Threats
Heavy recreational use, such as hiking and climbing in lyre-leaved rock-cress habitat areas can result in physical damage to plants, and compaction and erosion of the soil. Some populations of lyre-leaved rock-cress are threatened by invasion of exotic plant species such as Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii). Invasive plants can dominate the vegetation cover and effectively out-compete native plants. Lyre-leaf rock-cress is at its northeastern extent; one might expect to see an expansion of the population that has not yet been observed in Massachusetts.
Conservation and management
Survey and monitoring
All rare plants need regular monitoring so that it is known whether the population remains, or if there is need for management. The best time to survey lyre-leaved rock-cress is when it is in bloom (May through June) though it can be observed later in the season when small new plants have just started growing and their basal rosettes with distinctive lyre-shaped leaves are visible.
Each stem is considered a single genet (individual plant) usually, but occasionally a plant will produce 2 stems from the same basal rosette of leaves. A basal rosette of leaves is one genet; this species does not produce stolons or rhizomes underground. It is most helpful to report number of mature and immature genets when surveying.
Management
As with many rare species, the exact management needs of lyre-leaved rock-cress are not known. Lyre-leaved rock-cress locations that receive heavy recreational use (e.g., hiking, rock climbing) should be carefully monitored for rare plant damage, soil compaction, and erosion. If plant damage or soil disturbance is evident, trails and climbing routes should be re-routed or closed. Habitat sites should also be monitored for invasions of exotic plants, particularly Japanese barberry. Other species shading the population should be noted and may need to be cut or removed. Selective logging may be beneficial, in that it could set back succession, assuming individual plants are not damaged directly by the logging operations.
All active management of rare plant populations (including invasive species removal) is subject to review under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act and should be planned in close consultation with MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program.
Research needs
There have been several genetic studies of this species as it is closely related to Arabidopsis thaliana, yet no studies have occurred in Massachusetts to determine the genetic diversity of the populations that occur here. Massachusetts populations are often small and isolated and may rely partially on self-pollination. In addition, it is not known how the populations will respond to climate change, not only the warming of the climate, but also increased variability of the climate from extended rain events to extended droughts, as well as extreme temperatures.
References
Fernald, M. L. 1950. Gray’s Manual of Botany, Eighth (Centennial) Edition—Illustrated. American Book Company, New York.
Gleason, Henry A., and Arthur Cronquist. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada, Second Edition. Bronx, NY: The New York Botanical Garden, 1991.
Haines, A. 2011. Flora Novae Angliae – a Manual for the Identification of Native and Naturalized Higher Vascular Plants of New England. New England Wildflower Society, Yale Univ. Press, New Haven, CT.
O’Kane, Jr., S.L. and Ihsan A. Al-Shehbaz. 2010. Arabidopsis. In: Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. Flora of North America North of Mexico. 19+ vols. New York and Oxford. Vol. 7. Available at http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=241000801 Accessed 3/31/2026.
Native Plant Trust. 2014. NORM Phenology Information.
NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org/. Accessed: 3/30/2026.
POWO (2026). Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; https://powo.science.kew.org/ Accessed: 3/30/2026.
Sánchez-Castro, Dario, Georg Armbruster, Yvonne Willi. 2022. Reduced pollinator service in small populations of Arabidopsis lyrata at its southern range limit. Oecologia (2022) 200:107–117 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-022-05237-1 . Accessed 3/31/2026.
Staudinger, M.D., A.V. Karmalkar, K. Terwilliger, K. Burgio, A. Lubeck, H. Higgins, T. Rice, T.L. Morelli, A. D'Amato. 2024. A regional synthesis of climate data to inform the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plans in the Northeast U.S. DOI Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Cooperator Report. 406 p. https://doi.org/10.21429/t352-9q86
Weatherbee, P.B. 1996. Flora of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The Berkshire Museum, Studley Press, Dalton, MA.
Contact
| Date published: | April 7, 2025 |
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| Last updated: | May 4, 2026 |