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long's bitter-cress

big western bitter-cress, western bitter-cress, western toothwort

Habit Perennials; glabrous throughout. Perennials; glabrous or hirsute.
Rhizomes

cylindrical, slender, 0.8–1.5 mm diam.

(tuberiform, fragile), ovoid or globose at base of stem, 3–10 mm diam., (fleshy).

Stems

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

(simple from base), erect to ascending, (not flexuous), unbranched or branched distally, 1–5 dm, glabrous or pubescent proximally.

Basal leaves

not rosulate, pinnately compound, (3 or) 5 (or 7)-foliolate, 2–10 cm, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile;

petiole 0.5–6.5 cm;

lateral leaflets petiolulate or subsessile, blade similar to terminal, ovate, smaller, margins entire;

terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.03–0.18 cm), blade orbicular to broadly ovate or subcordate, 0.5–2 cm × 7–25 mm, base cordate to rounded, margins entire or repand, (surfaces glabrous).

Rhizomal leaves

absent.

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).

3–7, (3 or) 5 or 7-foliolate (middle ones 5 or 7-foliolate, smaller distally, becoming 3-foliolate), petiolate;

petiole 0.5–3 cm, base not auriculate;

lateral leaflets similar to terminal, smaller;

terminal leaflet blade obovate to oblanceolate, 0.5–2.6 cm × 3–13 mm, margins shallowly toothed, entire, or repand.

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, 1.7–2 × 1–1.2 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally;

petals white, oblanceolate, 4–6 × 1.5–2 mm, (not clawed);

filaments: median pairs 2–2.5 mm, lateral pair 1–1.5 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.3–0.5 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

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

divaricate-ascending, 7–18 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, (torulose), 1.5–3.3 cm × 1.7–2.2 mm; (valves glabrous or sparsely pubescent);

ovules 18–40 per ovary;

style 0.5–1.5 mm.

Seeds

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

brown, ovoid, 1–1.6 × 1–1.2 mm.

2n

= 64.

Cardamine longii

Cardamine occidentalis

Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep. Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Tidal marshes, mud flats, tidal shores of rivers, shallow water, swampy areas, shady rocky crevices covered at high tide Muddy grounds, lake margins, shallow streams, meadows
Elevation 0-10 m (0-0 ft) 150-1500 m (500-4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; MA; MD; ME; NC; NJ; NY; SC; VA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 476. FNA vol. 7, p. 479.
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. maxima, C. micranthera, C. microphylla, C. nuttallii, C. nymanii, C. oligosperma, C. pachystigma, C. parviflora, C. pattersonii, C. penduliflora, C. pensylvanica, C. pratensis, C. purpurea, C. rotundifolia, C. rupicola, C. umbellata
Synonyms C. pratensis var. occidentalis, C. neglecta
Name authority Fernald: Rhodora 19: 91. (1917) (S. Watson) Howell: Fl. N.W. Amer., 50. (1897)
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