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narrow-leaf bitter-cress

Siberian bittercress, umbel bitter-cress, umbellate bittercress

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

absent.

often elongated, usually slender, rarely thickened, 1–2(–5) mm diam., (not fleshy).

Stems

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

(simple or few to several from base), erect to ascending, (not flexuous), unbranched basally, sometimes branched distally, (0.3–)0.8–2.5(–3) dm.

Basal leaves

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

(sometimes withered by anthesis), rosulate, pinnately compound, (3 or) 5 or 7 (or 9)-foliolate, 2–5(–9) cm, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile;

lateral leaflets shortly petiolulate or subsessile, blade usually broadly ovate, rarely broadly obovate or orbicular, smaller than terminal, margins usually entire, rarely slightly 3 (or 5)-lobed or crenate;

terminal leaflet subsessile, blade reniform or orbicular, 0.4–0.8(–1.2) cm × 5–9(–16) mm, margins entire or 3 (or 5)-lobed or crenate.

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(–7), 3–7 (or 9)-foliolate, petiolate, leaflets subsessile or sessile;

base not auriculate;

lateral leaflets: blade narrowly obovate, oblanceolate to linear, margins similar to terminal;

terminal leaflet blade narrowly obovate, ovate, oblanceolate, lanceolate, oblong, margins usually entire, sometimes 3-lobed or crenate.

Racemes

ebracteate.

ebracteate, (subumbellate, 2–8(–14)-flowered, rachis usually 3–20 mm).

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 (greenish or purplish), oblong, 1–2 × 0.5–1 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally;

petals white, narrowly obovate, 2.5–5 × 1–3 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

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

suberect to ascending, 3–8(–10) 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, (torulose), (1.3–)1.8–2.5(–3) cm × 0.8–1.5(–2) mm; (valves glabrous or sparsely pubescent);

style 0.5–2 mm.

Seeds

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

brown, oblong, 1–1.5 × 0.8–1 mm.

2n

= 16.

= 32, 36, 48.

Cardamine impatiens

Cardamine umbellata

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Streamsides, slopes, roadsides, fields, disturbed areas Stream banks, tundra, alpine slopes, wetlands, damp, swampy and mossy areas, beach gravel and sand, alpine stream margins
Elevation 0-200 m (0-700 ft) 0-1800 m (0-5900 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; WA; AB; BC; NT; YT; e Asia (Russian Far East)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Recent molecular data (J. Lihová et al. 2006) indicate that Cardamine umbellata, often treated as a variety of C. oligosperma, represents a distinct lineage more closely related to taxa from New Zealand; this does not exclude C. oligosperma as one of the possible parents of this polyploid.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 476. FNA vol. 7, p. 484.
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. rupicola
Synonyms C. impatiens var. angustifolia C. hirsuta subsp. kamtschatica, C. kamtschatica, C. oligosperma var. kamtschatica, C. sylvatica var. kamtschatica
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 655. (1753) Greene: Pittonia 3: 154. (1897)
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