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limestone bittercress, pink bitter-cress

forkleaf toothwort

Habit Perennials; hirsute throughout or glabrous proximally. Perennials; glabrous throughout.
Rhizomes

(tuberous at stem base), subglobose, (lobed or not), (3–)4–10 mm diam., (fleshy).

(tuberiform, fragile), moniliform, segments oblong, 3–5 mm diam., (fleshy).

Stems

erect, unbranched, (0.7–)1–2.5(–3) dm, sparsely to densely hirsute, or glabrous basally, (trichomes (0.2–)0.3–0.6(–0.8) mm).

erect, unbranched, 1–3.5 dm.

Rhizomal leaves

simple, (3–)5–15(–18) cm;

petiole (2–)4–12(–16) cm;

blade often orbicular to cordate, sometimes reniform or ovate, (1–)2–6 cm × (7–)17–50 mm, base obtuse to cordate, margins repand or entire.

palmately compound (biternate), 7–20 cm, leaflets petiolulate;

petiole 4–13 cm;

lateral leaflets similar to terminal, blade sometimes smaller;

terminal leaflet (petiolule 1–3(–4) cm), blade ternately or pinnately lobed, (distal segment) linear, 0.7–3.5 cm × 0.6–3 mm, base attenuate to cuneate, margins entire (apiculate).

Cauline leaves

3–6(–8), simple, petiolate or sessile; (middle) shortly petiolate or (distal) sessile, base not auriculate;

blade oblong to ovate or lanceolate, 2–5 cm × 5–25 mm, margins entire, repand, or coarsely dentate.

(2 or) 3, palmately compound (biternate, similar to rhizomal leaves, alternate to subopposite), petiolate, leaflets petiolulate;

petiole (0.5–)1–4(–5.5) cm, base not auriculate;

lateral leaflets similar to terminal;

terminal leaflet (petiolule (0.3–)0.7–1.5(–2.5) cm), blade (ternate, distal segment) linear, (0.4–)1.5–5(–6.5) cm × 0.7–4(–6) mm, base cuneate to attenuate, margins entire.

Racemes

ebracteate.

ebracteate.

Flowers

sepals oblong, 2.5–4(–6) × 1.5–2.5 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally, (surfaces often hirsute);

petals usually rose-purple to pink, rarely white, obovate, (7–)8–13(–15) × 3–5 mm, (short-clawed, apex rounded);

filaments: median pairs 4–7 mm, lateral pair 2–4 mm;

anthers oblong, 1.3–1.7 mm.

sepals oblong, 4–6 × 1.5–2 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally;

petals white to pale pink, oblanceolate, 9–15 × 2–4 mm, (not clawed, apex rounded);

filaments: median pairs 6–7.5 mm, lateral pair 3–5 mm;

anthers linear, 1.5–2.5 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

ascending to divaricate, (10–)15–35(–50) mm, sparsely pubescent or glabrous.

ascending to divaricate, 10–25(–35) mm.

Fruits

linear, (1.5–)2–4 cm × 1.5–2 mm;

ovules 10–16 per ovary;

style 2–5 mm.

linear-lanceolate, 2–3.5 cm × 1.5–2 mm;

ovules 10–14 per ovary;

style 4–7(–10) mm.

Seeds

brown, oblong to ovoid, 1.7–2.5 × 1–5 mm.

brown, oblong, 1.5–2.5 × 1–1.5 mm.

2n

= 56, 64, 96, 112, 144.

= 64, 112.

Cardamine douglassii

Cardamine dissecta

Phenology Flowering Mar–May. Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat Rich woods, bluffs, mesic bottomland forests, rocky hillsides, floodplains, seepage of bogs, springy areas Oak-hickory woods, moist loamy areas, floodplain woods, bluffs, rocky calcareous woods, limestone slopes, along streams
Elevation 50-400 m (200-1300 ft) 0-300 m (0-1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; CT; DC; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; MI; MN; MO; NC; NJ; NY; OH; PA; SC; TN; VA; WI; WV; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; GA; IN; KY; NC; OH; TN
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 473. FNA vol. 7, p. 473.
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. clematitis, C. concatenata, C. constancei, C. cordifolia, C. digitata, C. diphylla, C. dissecta, 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. 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
Synonyms Arabis rhomboidea var. purpurea, Dentaria douglassii, Dracamine purpurea, Thlaspi tuberosum Dentaria dissecta, C. angustata var. multifida, C. laciniata subsp. multifida, Dentaria furcata, Dentaria heterophylla var. multifida, Dentaria laciniata var. multifida, Dentaria multifida
Name authority Britton: Trans. New York Acad. Sci. 9: 8. (1889) (Leavenworth) Al-Shehbaz: J. Arnold Arbor. 69: 82. (1988)
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