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wavy bitter-cress, wood bitter-cress, woodland bitter-cress

Cardamine penduliflora

wetlands bitter-cress, Willamette Valley bitter-cress

Habit Annuals or biennials; sparsely to densely hirsute basally or throughout, or glabrous. Perennials; glabrous throughout.
Rhizomes

absent.

(tuberiform, fragile), 4–9(–11) mm diam., (fleshy).

Stems

erect, ascending, or decumbent, branched or unbranched, (0.6–)1–5 dm, (slightly flexuous).

erect or decumbent at base, unbranched, 2–6(–7.5) dm.

Basal leaves

(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.

Rhizomal leaves

5–13-foliolate, (4–)10–18(–25) cm, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile;

petiole (3–)5–12(–17) cm;

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

terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.4–0.7 cm), blade oblong to elliptic or ovate, (0.4–)0.7–1.7(–2) cm, base cuneate or obtuse, margins entire or obscurely 3-lobed.

Cauline leaves

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).

2–6, 5–11-foliolate, petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or sessile;

petiole 3–10 cm, base not auriculate;

lateral leaflets sessile, blade similar to terminal, smaller;

terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.5–1.5 cm), blade narrowly ovate or oblong to oblanceolate, 1.5–3.5 cm × 2–15 mm, margins entire or toothed to 3-lobed.

Racemes

ebracteate.

ebracteate.

Flowers

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 to ovate, 3.5–5 × 1.8–2.5 mm, lateral pair saccate basally;

petals white, obovate, 12–16 × 6–8 mm, (not clawed, apex rounded or subemarginate);

filaments: median pairs 6–7 mm, lateral pair 4–5 mm;

anthers oblong, 1.5–1.8 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

divaricate or ascending, (5–)6–14(–17) mm.

ascending to divaricate, (10–)20–40(–60) mm.

Fruits

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, 2.5–4.5 cm × 1.4–2 mm;

ovules 12–24 per ovary;

style 4–6 mm.

Seeds

brown, oblong or subquadrate, 0.9–1.5 × 0.6–1 mm, (narrowly margined or not).

brown, oblong, 1.8–2 × 1–1.5 mm.

2n

= 32.

Cardamine flexuosa

Cardamine penduliflora

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jul. Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat Disturbed areas, fields, nurseries, plantations, gardens, flower beds, lawns, roadsides Shallow pools, wet grounds, marshes, meadows, creeks, channels, swampy woods
Elevation 0-1100 m (0-3600 ft) 50-150 m (200-500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; CA; FL; GA; IL; IN; LA; MD; MI; NC; NY; OH; OR; RI; TX; VA; WA; BC; NF; ON; Europe; e Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, Central America, South America, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Cardamine penduliflora is known from Douglas County north into Benton, Lane, Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 474. FNA vol. 7, p. 481.
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. douglassii, C. flagellifera, 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. pensylvanica, C. pratensis, C. purpurea, C. rotundifolia, C. rupicola, C. umbellata
Synonyms C. flexuosa subsp. debilis, C. flexuosa var. debilis, C. hirsuta subsp. flexuosa, C. scutata subsp. flexuosa C. rariflora
Name authority Withering: Arr. Brit. Pl. ed. 3, 3: 578. (1796) O. E. Schulz: Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 32: 538. (1903)
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