Cardamine maxima |
Cardamine purpurea |
|
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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. |
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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. |
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 |
CT; MA; ME; MI; NJ; NY; OH; PA; VT; NB; ON; QC
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AK; YT; e Asia (Russian Far East) |
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. 483. |
Parent taxa | Brassicaceae > tribe Cardamineae > Cardamine | Brassicaceae > tribe Cardamineae > Cardamine |
Sibling taxa | ||
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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