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long's bitter-cress

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

Habit Perennials; glabrous throughout. Perennials; glabrous or densely puberulent.
Rhizomes

cylindrical, slender, 0.8–1.5 mm diam.

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

Stems

prostrate to decumbent or erect, unbranched or branched, 0.5–4(–6) dm.

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

Rhizomal leaves

absent.

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

3–10, usually simple, rarely 3 or 5-foliolate, petiolate;

petiolulate or sessile;

petiole 0.4–2.5 cm, base not auriculate;

lateral leaflets (when present) sessile or petiolulate (to 0.2 cm), blade similar to terminal, considerably smaller;

terminal leaflet blade orbicular to reniform or ovate to oblong, 0.4–3 cm × 3–20 mm, (somewhat fleshy), base subcordate to rounded or subtruncate, margins entire or repand, rarely undulate, (apex rounded).

(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 ovate, 0.7–1.2 × 0.5–0.7 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally;

petals absent or rudimentary, to 0.7 mm;

filaments 0.5–0.8 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.1–0.2 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-ascending to spreading, 0.5–2(–4) mm.

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

Fruits

narrowly oblong to linear, (3–)5–10(–15) × 0.8–1.2 mm;

ovules 6–22 per ovary;

style 0.2–0.5(–1) 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

light or yellowish brown, oblong or ovoid, 1–1.4 × 0.7–1 mm.

brown, oblong, 1.6–2 × 1–1.3 mm.

2n

= 24.

Cardamine longii

Cardamine cordifolia

Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep. Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Tidal marshes, mud flats, tidal shores of rivers, shallow water, swampy areas, shady rocky crevices covered at high tide Stream banks, springs, shady gullies, creek bottoms, lakeshores, ponds, cold springs, meadows, moist hillsides, mossy areas, alpine streams, mixed coniferous forests
Elevation 0-10 m (0-0 ft) 600-3600 m (2000-11800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; MA; MD; ME; NC; NJ; NY; SC; VA
[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. impatiens, 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. 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 Fernald: Rhodora 19: 91. (1917) A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s., 4: 8. (1849)
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