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narrow-leaf bitter-cress

cliff bittercress

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

absent.

cylindrical, slender, 1–2 mm diam.

Stems

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

erect or decumbent at base, unbranched, 0.6–2 dm.

Basal leaves

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

Rhizomal leaves

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).

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 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.

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, 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.

Fruiting pedicels

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

ascending to divaricate, 6–18 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, 2–4 cm × 1.5–2.2 mm;

ovules 10–14 per ovary;

style 1–5 mm.

Seeds

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

brown, oblong, 1.8–2.2 × 1.2–1.5 mm.

2n

= 16.

Cardamine impatiens

Cardamine rupicola

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Streamsides, slopes, roadsides, fields, disturbed areas Limestone talus slopes, loose limey shale, moist banks
Elevation 0-200 m (0-700 ft) 2200-2700 m (7200-8900 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
MT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cardamine rupicola is known from Flathead, Lewis and Clarke, and Missoula counties.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 476. FNA vol. 7, p. 483.
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. penduliflora, C. pensylvanica, C. pratensis, C. purpurea, C. rotundifolia, C. umbellata
Synonyms C. impatiens var. angustifolia C. californica var. rupicola, Dentaria rupicola
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 655. (1753) (O. E. Schulz) C. L. Hitchcock: in C. L. Hitchcock et al., Vasc. Pl. Pacif. N.W. 2: 474. (1964)
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