Cardamine maxima |
Cardamine microphylla |
|
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large toothwort |
small-leaf bittercress |
|
Habit | Perennials; glabrous (except leaflet margins and, sometimes, rachis). | Perennials; usually glabrous, rarely sparsely hirtellous. |
Rhizomes | 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. |
Stems | erect, unbranched, 0.9–3(–4) dm. |
erect or ascending, unbranched, 0.3–1.5(–2) dm. |
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). |
pinnately 5 or 7-foliolate, (1.3–)2.5–6.5 cm, (not fleshy), leaflets petiolulate; petiole (0.5–)1.5–5.5 cm; lateral leaflets similar to terminal, blade sometimes smaller; terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.15–0.7 cm), blade ovate to elliptic, (0.2–)0.4–1.2(–1.5) cm × (1–)2.5–6 mm, base cuneate to obtuse, margins entire, (apiculate). |
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. |
1–3, 5 or 7-foliolate, petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile; petiole 0.2–1.5 cm, base not auriculate; lateral leaflets similar to terminal; terminal leaflet (subsessile or petiolule to 0.2 cm), blade ovate to elliptic, 0.6–1.3 × 0.1–0.7 cm, base cuneate, margins entire. |
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 ovate to oblong, 3–4 × 1.8–2.5 mm, lateral pair slightly saccate basally; petals usually white, rarely lavender, broadly obovate, 7–10 × 3–6 mm, (clawed, apex rounded); filaments: median pairs 3–4.5 mm, lateral pair 2–3 mm; anthers oblong, 1–1.5 mm. |
Fruiting pedicels | (flowering ones) horizontal to divaricate or deflexed, 7–20 mm. |
erect to ascending, 7–15(–25) mm. |
Fruits | (undeveloped), linear-lanceolate, to 3 cm × 2 mm; ovules 10–14 per ovary; style 3.5–7 mm. |
linear, 2–3 cm × 1.2–1.7 mm; ovules 12–16 per ovary; style 1–2 mm. |
Seeds | not known. |
brown, oblong, ca. 1.5 × 1 mm. |
2n | = 120, 124, 132, 138, 156, 161, ca. 208. |
= 28, 42, 64. |
Cardamine maxima |
Cardamine microphylla |
|
Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jun. | Flowering Jul–Aug. |
Habitat | Rich woods, shady ravines, ledges, moist alluvial bottoms, steep forested slopes, stream banks | Streamsides, sand and cobbles on gravel bars, shale banks, floodplains, alluvial sand between cobbles, moist moss, turf, seepage areas, meadows, wet grounds |
Elevation | 0-1600 m (0-5200 ft) | |
Distribution |
CT; MA; ME; MI; NJ; NY; OH; PA; VT; NB; ON; QC
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AK; NT; YT; e Asia (Russian Far East, Siberia) |
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. 477. | FNA vol. 7, p. 477. |
Parent taxa | Brassicaceae > tribe Cardamineae > Cardamine | Brassicaceae > tribe Cardamineae > Cardamine |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Dentaria maxima, C. anomala, Dentaria anomala | C. minuta |
Name authority | (Nuttall) Alph. Wood: Amer. Bot. Fl., 38. (1870) | Adams: Mém. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 5: 111. (1817) |
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