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narrow-leaf bitter-cress

Richardson's bittercress

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

absent.

cylindrical, slender, 0.5–1.5 mm diam.

Stems

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

erect, unbranched, (0.6–)1–2(–3) dm.

Basal leaves

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

Rhizomal leaves

pinnately 5 or 7-foliolate, (2–)4–10 cm, (not fleshy), leaflets sessile;

petiole (1.5–)3–7(–9) cm;

lateral leaflets similar to terminal, blade sometimes smaller;

terminal leaflet blade linear to narrowly oblong or narrowly lanceolate, (0.5–)1–2.5(–3.3) cm × 0.5–4(–8) mm, base cuneate to attenuate, margins entire.

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.

(1 or) 2 or 3, 5 or 7-foliolate, petiolate, leaflets sessile;

petiole (0.2–)0.5–1.2(–1.5) cm, base not auriculate;

lateral leaflets similar to terminal, blade smaller;

terminal leaflet blade narrowly lanceolate to linear, 1–3.2(–4) cm × 0.8–2.5(–3.5) mm, base cuneate to attenuate, margins entire (apex acute to acuminate).

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 ovate, 2.5–3.5 × 1.5–2.5 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally;

petals white, obovate, 5–9 × 2.5–5 mm (clawed, apex rounded);

filaments: median pairs 3–4.5 mm, lateral pair 1.5–2.5 mm;

anthers oblong, 1–1.5 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

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

suberect to divaricate-ascending, (7–)10–25 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, (1.5–)2–4 cm × 1.5–2 mm;

ovules 6–12 per ovary;

style (1–)1.5–2.5(–4) mm.

Seeds

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

brown, oblong, 1.8–2.2 × 0.9–1.1 mm.

2n

= 16.

= 28, 42.

Cardamine impatiens

Cardamine digitata

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Streamsides, slopes, roadsides, fields, disturbed areas Damp flats, stream banks, tundra, meadows, bluffs, hummocks, sandy beaches, slopes, mossy mats, sedge swales
Elevation 0-200 m (0-700 ft) 0-1400 m (0-4600 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
AK; NT; YT; ne Asia (Russian Far East, Siberia)
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 476. FNA vol. 7, p. 472.
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. cordifolia, 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. digitata var. oxyphylla, C. hyperborea, C. hyperborea var. oxyphylla, C. richardsonii
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 655. (1753) Richardson: in J. Franklin, Narr. Journey Polar Sea, 743. (1823)
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