Cardamine flexuosa
Cardamine nymanii
wavy bitter-cress, wood bitter-cress, woodland bitter-cress
cuckoo bitter-cress, lady smock, northern field bitter-cress
absent.
absent.
erect, ascending, or decumbent, branched or unbranched, (0.6–)1–5 dm, (slightly flexuous).
erect, unbranched or, rarely, branched, 0.5–1.6(–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.
(7 or) 9–21-foliolate, (thick, veins impressed);
leaflets petiolulate or sessile;
lateral lobes or leaflets similar to terminal;
terminal lobe or leaflet blade orbicular, broadly ovate to lanceolate, base rounded to cuneate, margins usually entire.
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).
2–4(–7), pinnatisect or pinnately compound, (7 or) 9–21-foliolate, (thick, veins impressed), petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or sessile;
petiole base not auriculate;
lobes or leaflets (of proximal leaves) (4–)7–10 each side of rachis, fewer distally, distal leaves with 4 or 5 lobes or leaflets each side of rachis;
terminal leaflet petiolulate or sessile, blade (or lobe) narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, base cuneate, 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 or ovate, 3.6–4.4 mm, lateral pair saccate basally, (green with hyaline margins);
petals white-lilac, 9–12.3 × 4.8–6.8 mm, (clawed, apex rounded or emarginate);
filaments: median pairs 3.5–4.5 mm, lateral pair 2–3 mm;
anthers narrowly oblong, 0.9–1.4 mm.
divaricate or ascending, (5–)6–14(–17) mm.
erect-ascending, 5–15 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, 1–1.8 cm × ca. 1.5 mm;
ovules ca. 16 per ovary;
style ca. 1 mm, (stout).
brown, oblong or subquadrate, 0.9–1.5 × 0.6–1 mm, (narrowly margined or not).
brown, oblong, ca. 1.5 mm.
= 32.
= 56, 60, 64, 80–100.
Cardamine flexuosa
Cardamine nymanii
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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