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large toothwort

purple bittercress

Habit Perennials; glabrous (except leaflet margins and, sometimes, rachis). Perennials; (often cespitose); hirsute.
Rhizomes

cylindrical, 3–6 mm diam., (distinctly constricted at intervals, non-uniform diam., fleshy, slightly fragile, with dentate leaf scars).

vertical, 1–3 mm diam., (not fleshy).

Stems

erect, unbranched, 0.9–3(–4) dm.

(simple or few to several from base), usually erect, unbranched, (0.3–)0.5–1.2(–1.5) dm.

Basal leaves

sometimes rosulate, usually 3 or 5-foliolate, rarely simple, (1.5–)2.5–7 cm, leaflets petiolulate or sessile;

petiole (1.2–)2–5 cm;

lateral lobes or leaflets sessile, blade similar to terminal, distinctly smaller;

terminal lobe or leaflet petiolulate (0.05–0.6 cm), blade reniform or suborbicular to broadly ovate, 0.3–1 cm × 4–15 mm, base subcordate to rounded, margins entire, repand, or obscurely 2-toothed.

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.

1–3, usually compound, rarely simple, petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or sessile;

petiole (0.2–)0.5–2 cm, base not auriculate;

similar to basal, 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) × 1.4–1.7 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally;

petals usually purple to pink, rarely white, obovate, 5–7(–9) × 3–4(–5) mm, (clawed, apex rounded);

filaments: median pairs 2.5–3.5 mm, lateral pair 1.5–3.5 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.6–0.9 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

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

suberect, ascending, or divaricate, 5–12 mm, pubescent.

Fruits

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

ovules 10–14 per ovary;

style 3.5–7 mm.

linear, 1.5–2.5 cm × 1.5–1.8 mm;

ovules 10–14 per ovary;

style 1–2.5 mm.

Seeds

not known.

brown, oblong to broadly ovoid, 1.7–2.1 × 1.4–1.7 mm.

2n

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

= 96.

Cardamine maxima

Cardamine purpurea

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Rich woods, shady ravines, ledges, moist alluvial bottoms, steep forested slopes, stream banks Moist tundra, damp woods and ravines, alpine turf, river flats, peaty subarctic meadows, streamsides, moist slopes
Elevation 600-1800 m (2000-5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; MA; ME; MI; NJ; NY; OH; PA; VT; NB; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; YT; e Asia (Russian Far East)
[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.)

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 477. FNA vol. 7, p. 483.
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. parviflora, C. pattersonii, C. penduliflora, C. pensylvanica, C. pratensis, C. rotundifolia, C. rupicola, C. umbellata
Synonyms Dentaria maxima, C. anomala, Dentaria anomala C. purpurea var. albiflora, C. purpurea var. albiflos, C. purpurea var. lactiflora
Name authority (Nuttall) Alph. Wood: Amer. Bot. Fl., 38. (1870) Chamisso & Schlechtendal: Linnaea 1: 20. (1826)
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