Cardamine maxima |
Cardamine bellidifolia |
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large toothwort |
alpine bitter-cress |
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Habit | Perennials; glabrous (except leaflet margins and, sometimes, rachis). | Perennials (somewhat cespitose, subscapose); glabrous throughout. |
Rhizomes | cylindrical, 3–6 mm diam., (distinctly constricted at intervals, non-uniform diam., fleshy, slightly fragile, with dentate leaf scars). |
absent (caudex usually with slender, rarely stout, rhizomelike branches). |
Stems | erect, unbranched, 0.9–3(–4) dm. |
erect to ascending, branched (several), 0.1–0.8(–1.4) dm, glabrous. |
Basal leaves | rosulate, simple, (0.6–)1.2–5(–7) cm; petiole (3–)1–3.5(–5.5) cm; blade usually ovate to oblong, rarely oblanceolate to obovate, (0.4–)0.8–1.7(–2.5) cm × (2–)5–10(–16) mm, base cuneate to obtuse, margins usually entire, rarely repand or obtusely small-toothed (apex obtuse). |
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Rhizomal leaves | 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). |
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Cauline leaves | 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. |
0 or 1 (or 2), simple, shortly petiolate; petiole base not auriculate; blade similar to basal leaves, much smaller. |
Racemes | ebracteate. |
ebracteate. |
Flowers | 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. |
sepals oblong, 2–3(–4) × 0.8–1.5(–2) mm, lateral pair not saccate basally; petals white, oblanceolate, 4–5.5(–7) × 1.3–2(–2.5) mm (not clawed, apex rounded or emarginate); filaments: median pairs 2.5–4 mm, lateral pair 2–3 mm; anthers oblong, 0.5–0.9 mm. |
Fruiting pedicels | (flowering ones) horizontal to divaricate or deflexed, 7–20 mm. |
ascending to erect, 3–6(–8) mm. |
Fruits | (undeveloped), linear-lanceolate, to 3 cm × 2 mm; ovules 10–14 per ovary; style 3.5–7 mm. |
linear, (0.8–)1.3–2.8(–3.7) cm × 1.3–2 mm; ovules 8–18 per ovary; style 0.5–3 mm. |
Seeds | not known. |
brown, oblong, 1.5–2 × 0.9–1.2 mm. |
2n | = 120, 124, 132, 138, 156, 161, ca. 208. |
= 16. |
Cardamine maxima |
Cardamine bellidifolia |
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Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jun. | Flowering Jun–Sep. |
Habitat | Rich woods, shady ravines, ledges, moist alluvial bottoms, steep forested slopes, stream banks | Mossy areas, tundra, marshes at stream headwaters, cliffs, talus slopes, barren chert slopes, moist rock crevices, rocky slopes, alpine streams, sandy beaches, moist rocky streambeds |
Elevation | 0-2300 m (0-7500 ft) | |
Distribution |
CT; MA; ME; MI; NJ; NY; OH; PA; VT; NB; ON; QC
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AK; CA; ME; NH; OR; WA; AB; BC; LB; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; n Europe; Asia (Russian Far East, Siberia)
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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.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 7, p. 477. | FNA vol. 7, p. 468. |
Parent taxa | Brassicaceae > tribe Cardamineae > Cardamine | Brassicaceae > tribe Cardamineae > Cardamine |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Dentaria maxima, C. anomala, Dentaria anomala | C. bellidifolia var. beringensis, C. bellidifolia var. laxa, C. bellidifolia var. pachyphylla, C. bellidifolia var. pinnatifida |
Name authority | (Nuttall) Alph. Wood: Amer. Bot. Fl., 38. (1870) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 654. (1753) |
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