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narrow-leaf bitter-cress

heart-leaf bitter-cress, large mountain bitter-cress, Lyall's bitter-cress

Habit Biennials or, rarely, annuals; usually glabrous, rarely sparsely pubescent basally. Perennials; glabrous or densely puberulent.
Rhizomes

absent.

cylindrical, slender or stout, 1.5–3 mm diam., (not fleshy).

Stems

erect, (angled, sometimes flexuous), unbranched basally, usually branched distally, (1.2–)2–6.5(–9) dm.

erect, unbranched or branched distally, 2–7(–10.2) dm, glabrous or sparsely to densely puberulent basally or throughout.

Basal leaves

(often withered by flowering), rosulate, similar to cauline, with fewer distal leaflets.

Rhizomal leaves

usually absent, rarely present, simple, 5–15 cm;

petiole 2.5–12 cm;

blade reniform to cordate, 1.5–4.5(–6) cm.

Cauline leaves

9–24, (9–)13–25-foliolate, petiolate, leaflets petiolulate;

petiole 2–6 cm, base auriculate (auricles to 10 × 2.2 mm);

lateral leaflets similar to terminal, blade often smaller;

terminal leaflet (petiolule to 0.5 cm), blade orbicular, obovate, ovate, or lanceolate, 1–4(–5) cm × 5–17 mm, margins entire or 3–5(–9)-toothed or -lobed.

(3–)5–17(–23), simple or, rarely, proximalmost 3-foliolate, petiolate;

petiole 1–6.5(–8.5) cm, base not auriculate;

blade reniform, deltate-cordate, or ovate-cordate, (1–)2–7.2(–9.7) cm × 10–55(–85) mm, (somewhat fleshy), base cordate or truncate, margins crenate to slightly sinuate, (veins ending in apiculae, surfaces glabrous or sparsely to densely pubescent).

Racemes

ebracteate.

ebracteate.

Flowers

sepals oblong, 1.2–2(–2.5) × 0.7–1(–1.2) mm, lateral pair not saccate basally;

petals (rarely absent), white, oblanceolate, 1.5–4(–5) × 0.6–1.2 mm;

filaments 2–3(–4) mm;

anthers ovate, 0.3–0.5 mm.

sepals oblong, 2.5–4.5 × 1.5–2 mm, lateral pair slightly saccate basally;

petals white, broadly obovate, 7–12 × 4–6 mm (claw to 6 mm, apex rounded to subtruncate or emarginate);

filaments: median pairs 3.5–5 mm, lateral pair 2–3.5 mm;

anthers oblong, 1–1.5 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

divaricate or ascending, 3.5–12(–15) mm.

divaricate to ascending, (7–)10–20 mm.

Fruits

linear, (torulose), (1–)1.6–3(–3.5) cm × 0.9–1.5 mm; (valves glabrous or, rarely, pilose);

ovules 10–30 per ovary;

style 0.6–1.6(–2) mm.

linear, (2–)2.5–3.7(–4) cm × 1.2–2 mm; (valves glabrous or sparsely puberulent);

ovules 14–24 per ovary;

style 0.5–3(–6) mm.

Seeds

brown, oblong, 1.1–1.5 × 0.8–1 mm, (compressed, sometimes narrowly winged apically).

brown, oblong, 1.6–2 × 1–1.3 mm.

2n

= 16.

= 24.

Cardamine impatiens

Cardamine cordifolia

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Streamsides, slopes, roadsides, fields, disturbed areas Stream banks, springs, shady gullies, creek bottoms, lakeshores, ponds, cold springs, meadows, moist hillsides, mossy areas, alpine streams, mixed coniferous forests
Elevation 0-200 m (0-700 ft) 600-3600 m (2000-11800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; KY; MI; MN; NH; OH; PA; VA; WV; ON; Eurasia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South Africa]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cardamine cordifolia is highly variable in leaf morphology, especially in leaf width, depth of the cordate base, and indumentum. This variation occurs throughout the species range and is rather weakly or not at all correlated with geography. In the absence of a detailed biosystematic study over the entire species range, we follow N. H. Holmgren (2005b) in not recognizing any infraspecific taxa, instead of accepting the three rather poorly defined varieties recognized by R. C. Rollins (1993).

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 476. FNA vol. 7, p. 471.
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. hirsuta, C. holmgrenii, 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. 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. pratensis, C. purpurea, C. rotundifolia, C. rupicola, C. umbellata
Synonyms C. impatiens var. angustifolia C. cordifolia var. cardiophylla, C. cordifolia var. diversifolia, C. cordifolia var. incana, C. cordifolia subsp. lyallii, C. cordifolia var. lyallii, C. cordifolia var. pubescens, C. incana, C. infausta, C. lyallii, C. uintahensis
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 655. (1753) A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s., 4: 8. (1849)
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