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narrow-leaf bitter-cress

Cardamine penduliflora

wetlands bitter-cress, Willamette Valley bitter-cress

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

absent.

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

Stems

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

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

Basal leaves

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

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

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.

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, 1.2–2(–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 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, 3.5–12(–15) mm.

ascending to divaricate, (10–)20–40(–60) 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, 2.5–4.5 cm × 1.4–2 mm;

ovules 12–24 per ovary;

style 4–6 mm.

Seeds

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

brown, oblong, 1.8–2 × 1–1.5 mm.

2n

= 16.

Cardamine impatiens

Cardamine penduliflora

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat Streamsides, slopes, roadsides, fields, disturbed areas Shallow pools, wet grounds, marshes, meadows, creeks, channels, swampy woods
Elevation 0-200 m (0-700 ft) 50-150 m (200-500 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
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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. 476. 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. 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. 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. impatiens var. angustifolia C. rariflora
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 655. (1753) O. E. Schulz: Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 32: 538. (1903)
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