Cardamine maxima
Cardamine blaisdellii
large toothwort
cylindrical, 3–6 mm diam., (distinctly constricted at intervals, non-uniform diam., fleshy, slightly fragile, with dentate leaf scars).
cylindrical, slender, 0.7–1.5 mm diam.
erect, unbranched, 0.9–3(–4) dm.
erect or ascending, unbranched, 0.5–2(–2.5) dm.
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).
pinnately 5- or 7-foliolate, 2.5–12 cm (not fleshy), leaflets petiolulate;
petiole 1.5–4(–9) cm;
lateral leaflets similar to terminal, or smaller and margins usually toothed, rarely entire;
terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.15–0.3 cm) blade suborbicular to broadly obovate, 0.4–1.5 cm × 2.5–14 mm, base obtuse to subcordate, margins 3–5-toothed, (apiculate).
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.
1–3, (3–)5-foliolate (alternate), petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile;
petiole 0.2–2(–6.5) cm, base not auriculate;
lateral leaflets similar to terminal;
terminal leaflet subsessile or petiolulate (to 0.2 cm), blade obovate to oblanceolate, 0.5–1.5 cm × 3–10 mm, base cuneate, margins 3-toothed or entire.
ebracteate.
ebracteate.
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, 2–3.5 × 2–2.5 mm, lateral pair slightly saccate basally;
petals white, broadly obovate, 7–10 × 3–6 mm (clawed, apex rounded);
filaments: median pairs 3–4 mm, lateral pair 2–3 mm;
anthers oblong, 1–1.5 mm.
(flowering ones) horizontal to divaricate or deflexed, 7–20 mm.
erect to ascending, 0.7–22 mm.
(undeveloped), linear-lanceolate, to 3 cm × 2 mm;
ovules 10–14 per ovary;
style 3.5–7 mm.
linear, 1.6–4 cm × 1–1.3 mm;
ovules 14–24 per ovary;
style 0.7–3 mm.
not known.
brown, oblong, ca. 1.5 × 1 mm.
= 120, 124, 132, 138, 156, 161, ca. 208.
= 28, 42.
Cardamine maxima
Cardamine blaisdellii
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.)
Cardamine blaisdellii was treated by R. C. Rollins (1993) as a synonym of C. microphylla, but the morphological differences (see key) and molecular data (R. B. Jørgensen et al., 2008) clearly demonstrate that they are distinct.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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