Cardamine maxima |
Cardamine impatiens |
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large toothwort |
narrow-leaf bitter-cress |
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Habit | Perennials; glabrous (except leaflet margins and, sometimes, rachis). | Biennials or, rarely, annuals; usually glabrous, rarely sparsely pubescent basally. |
Rhizomes | cylindrical, 3–6 mm diam., (distinctly constricted at intervals, non-uniform diam., fleshy, slightly fragile, with dentate leaf scars). |
absent. |
Stems | erect, unbranched, 0.9–3(–4) dm. |
erect, (angled, sometimes flexuous), unbranched basally, usually branched distally, (1.2–)2–6.5(–9) dm. |
Basal leaves | (often withered by flowering), rosulate, similar to cauline, with fewer distal leaflets. |
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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. |
9–24, (9–)13–25-foliolate, petiolate, leaflets petiolulate; petiole 2–6 cm, base auriculate (auricles to 10 × 2.2 mm); lateral leaflets similar to terminal, blade often smaller; terminal leaflet (petiolule to 0.5 cm), blade orbicular, obovate, ovate, or lanceolate, 1–4(–5) cm × 5–17 mm, margins entire or 3–5(–9)-toothed or -lobed. |
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, 1.2–2(–2.5) × 0.7–1(–1.2) mm, lateral pair not saccate basally; petals (rarely absent), white, oblanceolate, 1.5–4(–5) × 0.6–1.2 mm; filaments 2–3(–4) mm; anthers ovate, 0.3–0.5 mm. |
Fruiting pedicels | (flowering ones) horizontal to divaricate or deflexed, 7–20 mm. |
divaricate or ascending, 3.5–12(–15) mm. |
Fruits | (undeveloped), linear-lanceolate, to 3 cm × 2 mm; ovules 10–14 per ovary; style 3.5–7 mm. |
linear, (torulose), (1–)1.6–3(–3.5) cm × 0.9–1.5 mm; (valves glabrous or, rarely, pilose); ovules 10–30 per ovary; style 0.6–1.6(–2) mm. |
Seeds | not known. |
brown, oblong, 1.1–1.5 × 0.8–1 mm, (compressed, sometimes narrowly winged apically). |
2n | = 120, 124, 132, 138, 156, 161, ca. 208. |
= 16. |
Cardamine maxima |
Cardamine impatiens |
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Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jun. | Flowering May–Jul. |
Habitat | Rich woods, shady ravines, ledges, moist alluvial bottoms, steep forested slopes, stream banks | Streamsides, slopes, roadsides, fields, disturbed areas |
Elevation | 0-200 m (0-700 ft) | |
Distribution |
CT; MA; ME; MI; NJ; NY; OH; PA; VT; NB; ON; QC
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CT; KY; MI; MN; NH; OH; PA; VA; WV; ON; Eurasia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South Africa]
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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. 476. |
Parent taxa | Brassicaceae > tribe Cardamineae > Cardamine | Brassicaceae > tribe Cardamineae > Cardamine |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Dentaria maxima, C. anomala, Dentaria anomala | C. impatiens var. angustifolia |
Name authority | (Nuttall) Alph. Wood: Amer. Bot. Fl., 38. (1870) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 655. (1753) |
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