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long's bitter-cress

large toothwort

Habit Perennials; glabrous throughout. Perennials; glabrous (except leaflet margins and, sometimes, rachis).
Rhizomes

cylindrical, slender, 0.8–1.5 mm diam.

cylindrical, 3–6 mm diam., (distinctly constricted at intervals, non-uniform diam., fleshy, slightly fragile, with dentate leaf scars).

Stems

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

erect, unbranched, 0.9–3(–4) dm.

Rhizomal leaves

absent.

3-foliolate, 7–20 cm, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile;

petiole 4–15 cm;

lateral leaflets subsessile or petiolulate, blade often similar to terminal, base often oblique;

terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.2–1(–1.7) cm), blade broadly ovate to oblong, 2–7.5 cm × 12–37 mm, base cuneate to obtuse, margins coarsely dentate to sharply incised, or deeply cleft into 2 or 3 lobes (lobes dentate or incised, margins puberulent).

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).

2 or 3, 3-foliolate, (rarely subopposite), petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile;

petiole (0.5–)1–4(–6.5) cm, base not auriculate;

lateral and terminal leaflets similar to rhizomal, distalmost sometimes much smaller.

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 (erect to ascending), oblong, 5–7 × 2–3 mm, lateral pair slightly saccate basally;

petals white or pink, oblanceolate, 10–17 × 3–6 mm, (not clawed, apex rounded);

filaments: median pairs 4–8 mm, lateral pair 3–6.5 mm;

anthers linear, 1.7–2.7 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

divaricate-ascending to spreading, 0.5–2(–4) mm.

(flowering ones) horizontal to divaricate or deflexed, 7–20 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.

(undeveloped), linear-lanceolate, to 3 cm × 2 mm;

ovules 10–14 per ovary;

style 3.5–7 mm.

Seeds

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

not known.

2n

= 120, 124, 132, 138, 156, 161, ca. 208.

Cardamine longii

Cardamine maxima

Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Tidal marshes, mud flats, tidal shores of rivers, shallow water, swampy areas, shady rocky crevices covered at high tide Rich woods, shady ravines, ledges, moist alluvial bottoms, steep forested slopes, stream banks
Elevation 0-10 m (0-0 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; MA; MD; ME; NC; NJ; NY; SC; VA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; MA; ME; MI; NJ; NY; OH; PA; VT; NB; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cardamine maxima has not been found with mature fruits and seeds and it has long been suspected to be a hybrid between C. concatenata and C. diphylla. Molecular studies (P. W. Sweeney and R. A. Price 2000) indicate that C. maxima is distinct from both those species. Although we hesitate to maintain it as a species, its wide distribution and morphological distinctness warrant its recognition.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 476. FNA vol. 7, p. 477.
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. cordifolia, C. digitata, C. diphylla, C. dissecta, C. douglassii, C. flagellifera, C. flexuosa, C. hirsuta, C. holmgrenii, C. impatiens, C. longii, C. macrocarpa, 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 Dentaria maxima, C. anomala, Dentaria anomala
Name authority Fernald: Rhodora 19: 91. (1917) (Nuttall) Alph. Wood: Amer. Bot. Fl., 38. (1870)
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