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limestone bittercress, pink bitter-cress

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

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

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

cylindrical, (not fragile), relatively short, (not 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, (0.8–)1.5–5.5(–8) 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.

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

3–6(–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.

2–12(–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, 2.5–4(–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 (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

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

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

Fruits

linear, (1.5–)2–4 cm × 1.5–2 mm;

ovules 10–16 per ovary;

style 2–5 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 to ovoid, 1.7–2.5 × 1–5 mm.

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

2n

= 56, 64, 96, 112, 144.

= 16.

Cardamine douglassii

Cardamine pratensis

Phenology Flowering Mar–May. Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Rich woods, bluffs, mesic bottomland forests, rocky hillsides, floodplains, seepage of bogs, springy areas 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 50-400 m (200-1300 ft) 0-1000 m (0-3300 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
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. 473. 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. 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. 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 Arabis rhomboidea var. purpurea, Dentaria douglassii, Dracamine purpurea, Thlaspi tuberosum Dracamine pratensis
Name authority Britton: Trans. New York Acad. Sci. 9: 8. (1889) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 656. (1753)
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