Cardamine flexuosa
Cardamine dissecta
wavy bitter-cress, wood bitter-cress, woodland bitter-cress
forkleaf toothwort
absent.
(tuberiform, fragile), moniliform, segments oblong, 3–5 mm diam., (fleshy).
erect, ascending, or decumbent, branched or unbranched, (0.6–)1–5 dm, (slightly flexuous).
erect, unbranched, 1–3.5 dm.
(often withered by anthesis), not rosulate, 5–15-foliolate, (2.7–)4–14(–19) cm, leaflets petiolulate;
petiole 0.7–5 cm, (ciliate or not);
lateral leaflet blade oblong, ovate, or elliptic, smaller than terminal, margins entire, repand, crenate, or 3 (or 5)-lobed;
terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.3–1.7 cm), blade reniform, broadly ovate, or suborbicular, 0.5–2.5 cm × 4–30 mm, margins repand, crenate, or 3 or 5-lobed.
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).
3–15, 5–15-foliolate [leaves (2–)3.5–5.5(–7) cm, including petiole], petiolate, leaflets petiolulate;
petiole base not auriculate;
lateral leaflets similar to basal, (0.4–2.5 mm wide).
(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.
ebracteate.
ebracteate.
sepals oblong, 1.5–2.5 × 0.7–1 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally;
petals white, spatulate, 2.5–4(–5) × 1–1.7 mm; (stamens rarely 4, lateral pair absent);
filaments 2–3 mm;
anthers ovate, 0.3–0.5 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.
divaricate or ascending, (5–)6–14(–17) mm.
ascending to divaricate, 10–25(–35) mm.
linear, (torulose), (0.8–)1.2–2.8 cm × 1–1.5 mm;
ovules 18–40 per ovary;
style 0.3–1(–1.5) mm.
linear-lanceolate, 2–3.5 cm × 1.5–2 mm;
ovules 10–14 per ovary;
style 4–7(–10) mm.
brown, oblong or subquadrate, 0.9–1.5 × 0.6–1 mm, (narrowly margined or not).
brown, oblong, 1.5–2.5 × 1–1.5 mm.
= 32.
= 64, 112.
Cardamine flexuosa
Cardamine dissecta
According to J. Lihová et al. (2006), the populations referred to Cardamine flexuosa in North America comprise two taxa of different polyploid origins and evolutionary histories: tetraploid C. flexuosa (2n = 32), native to Europe, and the octoploid taxon informally called “Asian C. flexuosa” (2n = 64), native to eastern Asia. For the latter, the name C. flexuosa subsp. debilis can be used. Nevertheless, these two taxa should be recognized at species level and the correct name for the Asian species should be sought. Based on available data, both taxa occupy the same habitats in North America, but the Asian taxon is much more widespread. The occurrence of European C. flexuosa was, until now, confirmed only for Washington, where both taxa have been recorded. More detailed studies of the North American distributions of both these weeds are needed.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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