Cardamine flexuosa
Cardamine rupicola
wavy bitter-cress, wood bitter-cress, woodland bitter-cress
cliff bittercress
absent.
cylindrical, slender, 1–2 mm diam.
erect, ascending, or decumbent, branched or unbranched, (0.6–)1–5 dm, (slightly flexuous).
erect or decumbent at base, unbranched, 0.6–2 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 or subpalmately compound, 3 or 5 (or 7)-foliolate, 5.5–17(–22) cm, (fleshy), petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile;
petiole 4–14(–17) cm;
lateral leaflets subsessile, blade similar to terminal, sometimes smaller;
terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.1–0.5 cm), blade ovate to lanceolate or elliptic-oblong, 1–3 cm × 6–17 mm, base cuneate or obtuse, 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, 3 or 5-foliolate, petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or sessile;
petiole 0.7–4(–8) cm, base not auriculate;
lateral leaflets sessile, blade similar to terminal, smaller;
terminal leaflet petiolulate (0.1–0.5 cm), blade elliptic to oblong, or ovate, 1.2–3.5 cm × 4–25 mm, 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, 3–5 × 1.5–2 mm, lateral pair saccate basally;
petals white, obovate, 8–14 × 4–7 mm, (short-clawed, apex rounded or subemarginate);
filaments: median pairs 4–5 mm, lateral pair 2.5–3.5 mm;
anthers oblong, 1–1.2 mm.
divaricate or ascending, (5–)6–14(–17) mm.
ascending to divaricate, 6–18 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, 2–4 cm × 1.5–2.2 mm;
ovules 10–14 per ovary;
style 1–5 mm.
brown, oblong or subquadrate, 0.9–1.5 × 0.6–1 mm, (narrowly margined or not).
brown, oblong, 1.8–2.2 × 1.2–1.5 mm.
= 32.
Cardamine flexuosa
Cardamine rupicola
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 rupicola is known from Flathead, Lewis and Clarke, and Missoula counties.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites:
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PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
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