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small mountain bittercress

Brewer's bitter-cress, cuckoo bitter-cress, cuckoo flower, European field bitter-cress, lady's-smock, meadow bittercress, pink cuckoo bitter-cress

Habit Perennials; glabrous throughout. Perennials; usually glabrous, rarely sparsely pilose basally.
Rhizomes

cylindrical, slender, 1–3 mm diam.

cylindrical, (not fragile), relatively short, (not fleshy).

Stems

erect, unbranched or rarely branched distally, (0.8–)1–2.5(–3.5) dm.

erect, unbranched, (0.8–)1.5–5.5(–8) dm.

Rhizomal leaves

simple or 3-foliolate, (1.5–)3–8 cm, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile;

petiole (1–)2–6 cm;

lateral leaflets subsessile, blade similar to terminal, much smaller;

terminal leaflet petiolulate (to 1 cm), blade reniform to cordate, (0.5–)1–2 cm, base cordate, margins entire or 3-lobed.

simple or 5–9(–31)-foliolate, to 30 cm, (thin, veins raised), leaflets petiolulate or sessile;

petiole (1–)2–7(–10) cm;

lateral leaflets petiolulate or sessile, blade similar to terminal or smaller, orbicular, ovate, or obovate, margins crenate or repand;

terminal leaflet (petiolule to 1.5 cm), blade orbicular or broadly obovate, 0.3–2 cm diam., base usually rounded, rarely subreniform or cuneate, margins repand, (apex rounded).

Cauline leaves

3–7, 3-foliolate (or distalmost simple), petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or sessile;

petiole 0.7–3.5 cm, base auriculate (auricle 0.7–5 mm);

lateral leaflets sessile or petiolulate (to 0.5 cm), blade oblong to ovate or oblong;

terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.5–1 cm), blade broadly ovate to suborbicular or reniform, 1.5–4 cm × 15–35 mm, margins often 3 or 5-lobed (lobe apex minutely apiculate, glabrous on margin).

2–12(–18), pinnatisect, petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or sessile, (2–17 cm including petiole, thin, veins raised);

petiole base not auriculate;

lobes or leaflets (4–7(–13) each side of rachis), petiolulate or sessile and decurrent, blade similar to terminal lobe or leaflet, margins usually entire, rarely dentate;

terminal lobe or leaflet (petiolulate or sessile), blade linear, oblong, ovate, or lanceolate, 1–2.5(–3.5) cm × 5–8(–10) mm, (surfaces glabrous).

Racemes

ebracteate.

ebracteate.

Flowers

sepals oblong, 2.5–3 × 1–1.5 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally;

petals white, oblanceolate, 6–8 × 2–3 mm (not clawed, apex obtuse to subemarginate);

filaments: median pairs 3.5–4 mm, lateral pair 2–2.5 mm;

anthers ovate, ca. 0.7 mm.

sepals (erect or spreading), oblong or ovate, (2.5–)3–5(–6) × 1–2 mm, lateral pair saccate basally;

petals usually purple or lilac, rarely white, obovate, (6–)8–15(–18) × 3–7.5(–10) mm, (clawed, apex rounded or emarginate);

filaments: median pairs 5–10 mm, lateral pair 3–6 mm;

anthers narrowly oblong, (0.8–)1.2–2 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

divaricate-ascending, (7–)10–17 mm.

erect-ascending or subdivaricate, (5–)12–25(–30) mm.

Fruits

linear, (1.5–)2–3.5(–4) cm × 1.3–1.7 mm;

ovules 10–16 per ovary;

style 2–4 mm.

linear, (1.6–)2.5–4.5(–5) cm × (1.2–)1.5–2.3 mm;

ovules 20–30 per ovary;

style (0.5–)1–2.2(–2.7) mm, (stout).

Seeds

brown, oblong, 1.7–2 × 1–1.2 mm.

light brown, oblong, 1.2–1.8(–2) × 1–1.4 mm.

2n

= 16.

Cardamine clematitis

Cardamine pratensis

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Wet areas, springs, moist slopes Moist grounds, stream sides, limestone shores, sedge and grass meadows, marshy pond margins, mossy areas, wet hollows, boggy areas, turfy shores, damp creek banks, swamps, brooks and ditches, moist ravines, springy swales
Elevation 1300-1800 m (4300-5900 ft) 0-1000 m (0-3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; NC; TN; VA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; IN; MA; ME; MI; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; VT; BC; NB; NF; NS; ON; QC; Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The taxonomy of Cardamine pratensis in North America requires further detailed study. Most, if not all, populations of this species were introduced from Europe. Some specimens resemble the European C. dentata Schultes (high polyploid, characterized by all leaves, including distalmost, pinnate with petiolate and sometimes deciduous leaflets) and these populations might be native.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 470. FNA vol. 7, p. 482.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Cardamineae > Cardamine Brassicaceae > tribe Cardamineae > Cardamine
Sibling taxa
C. angulata, C. angustata, C. bellidifolia, C. blaisdellii, C. breweri, C. bulbosa, C. californica, C. concatenata, C. constancei, C. cordifolia, C. digitata, C. diphylla, C. dissecta, C. douglassii, C. flagellifera, C. flexuosa, C. hirsuta, C. holmgrenii, C. impatiens, C. longii, C. macrocarpa, C. maxima, C. micranthera, C. microphylla, C. nuttallii, C. nymanii, C. occidentalis, C. oligosperma, C. pachystigma, C. parviflora, C. pattersonii, C. penduliflora, C. pensylvanica, C. pratensis, C. purpurea, C. rotundifolia, C. rupicola, C. umbellata
C. angulata, C. angustata, C. bellidifolia, C. blaisdellii, C. breweri, C. bulbosa, C. californica, C. clematitis, C. concatenata, C. constancei, C. cordifolia, C. digitata, C. diphylla, C. dissecta, C. douglassii, C. flagellifera, C. flexuosa, C. hirsuta, C. holmgrenii, C. impatiens, C. longii, C. macrocarpa, C. maxima, C. micranthera, C. microphylla, C. nuttallii, C. nymanii, C. occidentalis, C. oligosperma, C. pachystigma, C. parviflora, C. pattersonii, C. penduliflora, C. pensylvanica, C. purpurea, C. rotundifolia, C. rupicola, C. umbellata
Synonyms Dracamine pratensis
Name authority Shuttleworth ex A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 15: 45. (1880) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 656. (1753)
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