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streambank bittercress

alpine bitter-cress, few-seed bitter-cress, Idaho bittercress, little western bitter-cress, Siberian bitter-cress

Habit Perennials; glabrous throughout. Annuals or biennials; usually sparsely hirsute (at least proximally), rarely glabrous.
Rhizomes

(relatively short), 2–3 mm diam., (covered with extensive root system).

absent.

Stems

erect to ascending, unbranched or branched distally, 0.9–4 dm.

(simple or few from base), erect to ascending, (not flexuous), unbranched or branched distally, (0.5–)0.8–3.2(–4.1) dm, usually pubescent throughout or proximally, rarely glabrous.

Basal leaves

(persistent to anthesis), rosulate, pinnately compound, 5–9(–13)-foliolate, 2–8.5(–11) cm, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile;

petiole 1–6 cm;

lateral leaflets petiolulate or subsessile, blade obovate to oblanceolate, smaller than terminal, margins entire or crenate;

terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.1–0.7 cm), blade usually orbicular to ovate, rarely oblong, 0.4–1.5(–2.3) cm × 3–10(–13) mm, base cordate to rounded, margins entire, or crenate-dentate to obscurely 3 or 5-lobed, (surfaces often hirsute, sometimes glabrous).

Rhizomal leaves

usually 3-foliolate, rarely simple, 1–8 cm, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile;

petiole 0.5–5 cm;

lateral leaflets subsessile, often minute;

terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.4–2 cm), blade orbicular to broadly ovate, 0.5–3 cm × 5–25 mm, base rounded, margins entire, repand, or dentate.

Cauline leaves

5–10, petiolate;

middle leaves often simple, petiole 0.3–1.5 cm, blade rhombic to suborbicular or ovate, 1–3.5 cm × 6–22 mm, base obtuse to cuneate, margins entire, repand, or dentate;

distal ones with shorter petiole, blade smaller.

3–8, pinnately compound, similar to basal, smaller and fewer distally, petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile;

petiole 0.5–2 cm, base not auriculate.

Racemes

ebracteate.

ebracteate.

Flowers

sepals (ascending), oblong, 1.5–2.2 × 0.7–1 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally;

petals (somewhat spreading), white, oblanceolate, 3.5–5 × 1.2–1.8 mm, (not clawed, apex rounded);

filaments: median pairs 2.5–3 mm, lateral pair 2–2.5 mm;

anthers ovate, ca. 0.2 mm.

sepals oblong, 1.3–1.8(–2) × 0.5–1 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally;

petals white, narrowly spatulate to oblanceolate, 2.5–3.5 × 0.9–1.5 mm (not clawed);

filaments: median pairs 1.7–2.5 mm, lateral pair 1.2–2 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.3–0.5 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

divaricate, 9–17 mm.

divaricate-ascending, (2–)3–9(–12) mm.

Fruits

linear, 0.8–1.6 cm × 0.8–1 mm;

ovules 16–22 per ovary;

style 1.2–1.8 mm.

linear, (torulose), (1.3–)1.6–2.8 cm × 1–1.7 mm; (valves glabrous or sparsely pubescent);

ovules 16–36(–42) per ovary;

style 0.4–1(–1.5) mm.

Seeds

brown, oblong to ovoid, 0.9–1.2 × 0.6–0.8 mm.

brown, oblong, 1–1.6 × 0.8–1.2 mm.

2n

= 16.

Cardamine micranthera

Cardamine oligosperma

Phenology Flowering Apr–May. Flowering Mar–Jul.
Habitat Wet grounds along streams, seepage, gravelly sandbars, moist crevices Stream banks, shady banks, creek bottoms, lakeshores, meadows, moist areas, wooded slopes
Elevation 50-3300 m (200-10800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NC
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Cardamine micranthera is known only from Stokes County. It is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 477. FNA vol. 7, p. 479.
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. maxima, 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. pachystigma, C. parviflora, C. pattersonii, C. penduliflora, C. pensylvanica, C. pratensis, C. purpurea, C. rotundifolia, C. rupicola, C. umbellata
Synonyms C. acuminata, C. hirsuta var. acuminata, C. hirsuta var. bracteata, C. hirsuta subsp. oligosperma, C. hirsuta var. parviflora, C. oligosperma var. bracteata, C. oligosperma var. lucens, C. oligosperma var. unijuga, C. unijuga
Name authority Rollins: Castanea 5: 87. (1940) Nuttall: in J. Torrey and A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 85. (1838)
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