Burke: Cardamine pattersonii vs. Cardamine bellidifolia

	Cardamine pattersonii	Cardamine bellidifolia
		alpine bittercress
Habit		Glabrous, somewhat tufted perennial from a taproot and branching crown with slender branches, the several stems 2-10 cm. tall.
Leaves		Leaves numerous, mostly basal in a rosette, the blades rhombic-elliptic to ovate, 5-30 mm. long, entire to shallowly 2- to 4-toothed, narrowed to slender petioles 2- to 4-times as long; cauline leaves 1-3, reduced.
Flowers		Inflorescence of few-flowered, bractless racemes; pedicles 4-10 mm. long, ascending; sepals 4, 1.5-2 mm. long, the outer pair saccate at the base; petals 4, white, 3-5 mm. long; stamens 6; style 1-3 mm. long.
Fruits		Siliques linear, erect, 1.5-3.5 cm. long and 1-1.5 mm. broad; seeds in 1 series.

	Cardamine pattersonii	Cardamine bellidifolia
Flowering time		June-August
Habitat		Subalpine to alpine meadows.
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	Occurring In the Olympics and Cascades mountains in Washington; Alaska to California, east across Canada to far northeastern North America [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin		Native
Conservation status		Not of concern
Sibling taxa	C. angulata, C. bellidifolia, C. breweri, C. cordifolia, C. corymbosa, C. flexuosa, C. hirsuta, C. nuttallii, C. occidentalis, C. occulta, C. oligosperma, C. pensylvanica, C. pratensis, C. umbellata	C. angulata, C. breweri, C. cordifolia, C. corymbosa, C. flexuosa, C. hirsuta, C. nuttallii, C. occidentalis, C. occulta, C. oligosperma, C. pensylvanica, C. pratensis, C. umbellata
Web links	Local floras: OR Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Cardamine pattersonii

Cardamine bellidifolia

alpine bittercress

Habit

Glabrous, somewhat tufted perennial from a taproot and branching crown with slender branches, the several stems 2-10 cm. tall.

Leaves

Leaves numerous, mostly basal in a rosette, the blades rhombic-elliptic to ovate, 5-30 mm. long, entire to shallowly 2- to 4-toothed, narrowed to slender petioles 2- to 4-times as long;

cauline leaves 1-3, reduced.

Flowers

Inflorescence of few-flowered, bractless racemes; pedicles 4-10 mm. long, ascending;

sepals 4, 1.5-2 mm. long, the outer pair saccate at the base;

petals 4, white, 3-5 mm. long;

stamens 6;

style 1-3 mm. long.

Fruits

Siliques linear, erect, 1.5-3.5 cm. long and 1-1.5 mm. broad;

seeds in 1 series.