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large toothwort

narrow-leaf bitter-cress, sand bitter-cress, small-flower bitter-cress

Habit Perennials; glabrous (except leaflet margins and, sometimes, rachis). Annuals; (slender); glabrous or sparsely to densely pubescent throughout.
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.

(simple or few to several from base), erect, (somewhat flexuous), often branched distally, (0.5–)1–3(–4) dm.

Basal leaves

(often withered by anthesis), usually not rosulate, pinnately (5 or) 7–13(–17)-foliolate, (2–)4–10cm, leaflets sessile or petiolulate;

petiole 0.5–2.5(–4.5) cm;

lateral leaflets similar to terminal, sometimes smaller;

terminal leaflet (sessile or petiolule to 0.5 cm), blade linear to oblong, oblanceolate to obovate, or suborbicular, (0.1–)0.3–1 cm × 1–7 mm, base cuneate, margins entire or 3(–5)-toothed or -lobed.

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).

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.

5–10(–14), (5–)9–15(–17)-foliolate, petiolate, leaflets sessile;

petiole 0.3–1 cm, base not auriculate;

lateral leaflets similar to terminal, sometimes smaller;

terminal leaflet blade filiform, linear, or narrowly oblong, 0.3–1(–1.6) cm × 0.3–3 mm, margins usually entire, rarely 1–3-toothed.

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, 1–1.5(–2) × 0.3–0.5 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally, (margins membranous);

petals white, oblanceolate, (1.5–)1.8–2.5(–3) × 0.4–0.8(–1) mm;

filaments 1.4–2.5 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.2–0.4 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

(flowering ones) horizontal to divaricate or deflexed, 7–20 mm.

divaricate or ascending, 4–10 mm.

Fruits

(undeveloped), linear-lanceolate, to 3 cm × 2 mm;

ovules 10–14 per ovary;

style 3.5–7 mm.

linear, (torulose), (0.5–)1–2(–2.5) cm × 0.6–0.9 mm;

ovules 20–50 per ovary;

style 0.3–0.7(–1) mm.

Seeds

not known.

pale brown, oblong-ovoid, 0.6–0.9 × 0.4–0.6 mm, (narrowly margined or not).

2n

= 120, 124, 132, 138, 156, 161, ca. 208.

= 16.

Cardamine maxima

Cardamine parviflora

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering Mar–Jun.
Habitat Rich woods, shady ravines, ledges, moist alluvial bottoms, steep forested slopes, stream banks Roadsides, stream banks, rocky crests and outcrops, crevices of granitic bedrock, dry woods, glades, fallow fields, disturbed ground, limestone barrens, marsh and swamp margins, floodplains, waste ground, slopes, ledges, cliffs, meadows
Elevation 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; MA; ME; MI; NJ; NY; OH; PA; VT; NB; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NT; ON; QC; SK; Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Within Cardamine parviflora, in the broad sense, two species or varieties have been recognized: the Eurasian C. parviflora (or C. parviflora var. parviflora) versus the North American C. arenicola (or C. parviflora var. arenicola). Nuclear DNA data suggested a sister relationship of the North American and Eurasian entities, while cpDNA data showed them intermingled (J. Lihová et al. 2006). There are no apparent morphological differences between these entities, although detailed morphological studies are still lacking. We currently prefer to treat them as a single taxon.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 477. FNA vol. 7, p. 480.
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. longii, C. macrocarpa, 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. occidentalis, C. oligosperma, C. pachystigma, C. pattersonii, C. penduliflora, C. pensylvanica, C. pratensis, C. purpurea, C. rotundifolia, C. rupicola, C. umbellata
Synonyms Dentaria maxima, C. anomala, Dentaria anomala C. arenicola, C. flexuosa var. gracilis, C. parviflora var. arenicola
Name authority (Nuttall) Alph. Wood: Amer. Bot. Fl., 38. (1870) Linnaeus: Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 1131. (1759)
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