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hairy bitter-cress, shotweed

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

Habit Annuals; sparsely hirsute basally (at least on petiole of basal leaves), often glabrous distally. Perennials; usually glabrous, rarely sparsely pilose basally.
Rhizomes

absent.

cylindrical, (not fragile), relatively short, (not fleshy).

Stems

erect, ascending, or decumbent, unbranched or branched basally and/or distally, (0.3–)1–3.5(–4.5) dm, (not flexuous).

erect, unbranched, (0.8–)1.5–5.5(–8) dm.

Basal leaves

(persistent to anthesis), rosulate, (5–)8–15(–22)-foliolate, (2–)3.5–15(–17) cm, leaflets petiolulate;

petiole 0.5–5 cm, (ciliate);

lateral leaflet blade oblong, ovate, obovate, or orbicular, smaller than terminal, margins entire, repand, crenate, or 3-lobed;

terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.2–1 cm), blade reniform or orbicular, 0.4–2 cm × 6–30 mm, margins entire, repand, dentate, or 3 or 5-lobed.

Rhizomal leaves

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

1–4(–6), compound as basal, petiolate, [(0.5–)1.2–5.5(–7) cm, including petiole], leaflets petiolulate;

blade base not auriculate;

leaflets similar to basal.

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, 1.5–2.5 × 0.3–0.7 mm, lateral pair not saccate;

petals (sometimes absent) white, spatulate, 2.5–4.5(–5) × 0.5–1.1 mm; (stamens usually 4, lateral pair often absent, rarely 5 or 6);

filaments 1.8–3 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.3–0.5 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

erect to ascending, (2–)3–10(–14) mm.

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

Fruits

linear, (torulose), (0.9–)1.5–2.5(–2.8) cm × (0.8–)1–1.4 mm, (often appressed to rachis);

ovules 14–40 per ovary;

style 0.1–0.6(–1) 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

light brown, oblong or subquadrate, 0.9–1.3(–1.5) × 0.6–0.9(–1.1) mm, (narrowly margined).

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

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Cardamine hirsuta

Cardamine pratensis

Phenology Flowering Feb–Jul. Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Roadsides, clearings, disturbed sites, slopes, cedar glades, mixed woods, meadows, fields, waste grounds, damp places, grassy 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 0-700 m (0-2300 ft) 0-1000 m (0-3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IL; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; SC; TN; TX; UT; VA; WA; WV; BC; ON; w Eurasia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Central America, South America, e Asia (Japan), South Africa, Australia]
[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

Herbarium specimens of Cardamine hirsuta have been misidentified as C. oligosperma.

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

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. 475. 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. douglassii, C. flagellifera, C. flexuosa, 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 Dracamine pratensis
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 655. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 656. (1753)
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