Matthiola is a genus of flowering plant in the mustard family Brassicaceae. It is named after Italian naturalist Pietro Andrea Mattioli (1501–1577). The genus contains about 50 species of annual, biennial and perennial herbaceous plants and subshrubs. Many are cultivated for their heavily scented, colorful flowers.

Brassicaceae or Cruciferae is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some are shrubs. The leaves are simple, lack stipules, and appear alternately on stems or in rosettes. The inflorescences are terminal and lack bracts. The flowers have four free sepals, four free alternating petals, two shorter free stamens and four longer free stamens. The fruit has seeds in rows, divided by a thin wall.