Cardamine nymanii |
Cardamine pratensis |
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cuckoo bitter-cress, lady smock, northern field bitter-cress |
Brewer's bitter-cress, cuckoo bitter-cress, cuckoo flower, European field bitter-cress, lady's-smock, meadow bittercress, pink cuckoo bitter-cress |
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Habit | Perennials; (cespitose); glabrous. | Perennials; usually glabrous, rarely sparsely pilose basally. |
Rhizomes | absent. |
cylindrical, (not fragile), relatively short, (not fleshy). |
Stems | erect, unbranched or, rarely, branched, 0.5–1.6(–3.5) dm. |
erect, unbranched, (0.8–)1.5–5.5(–8) dm. |
Basal leaves | (7 or) 9–21-foliolate, (thick, veins impressed); leaflets petiolulate or sessile; lateral lobes or leaflets similar to terminal; terminal lobe or leaflet blade orbicular, broadly ovate to lanceolate, base rounded to cuneate, margins usually entire. |
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Rhizomal leaves | simple or 5–9(–31)-foliolate, to 30 cm, (thin, veins raised), leaflets petiolulate or sessile; petiole (1–)2–7(–10) cm; lateral leaflets petiolulate or sessile, blade similar to terminal or smaller, orbicular, ovate, or obovate, margins crenate or repand; terminal leaflet (petiolule to 1.5 cm), blade orbicular or broadly obovate, 0.3–2 cm diam., base usually rounded, rarely subreniform or cuneate, margins repand, (apex rounded). |
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Cauline leaves | 2–4(–7), pinnatisect or pinnately compound, (7 or) 9–21-foliolate, (thick, veins impressed), petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or sessile; petiole base not auriculate; lobes or leaflets (of proximal leaves) (4–)7–10 each side of rachis, fewer distally, distal leaves with 4 or 5 lobes or leaflets each side of rachis; terminal leaflet petiolulate or sessile, blade (or lobe) narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, base cuneate, margins entire. |
2–12(–18), pinnatisect, petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or sessile, (2–17 cm including petiole, thin, veins raised); petiole base not auriculate; lobes or leaflets (4–7(–13) each side of rachis), petiolulate or sessile and decurrent, blade similar to terminal lobe or leaflet, margins usually entire, rarely dentate; terminal lobe or leaflet (petiolulate or sessile), blade linear, oblong, ovate, or lanceolate, 1–2.5(–3.5) cm × 5–8(–10) mm, (surfaces glabrous). |
Racemes | ebracteate. |
ebracteate. |
Flowers | sepals oblong or ovate, 3.6–4.4 mm, lateral pair saccate basally, (green with hyaline margins); petals white-lilac, 9–12.3 × 4.8–6.8 mm, (clawed, apex rounded or emarginate); filaments: median pairs 3.5–4.5 mm, lateral pair 2–3 mm; anthers narrowly oblong, 0.9–1.4 mm. |
sepals (erect or spreading), oblong or ovate, (2.5–)3–5(–6) × 1–2 mm, lateral pair saccate basally; petals usually purple or lilac, rarely white, obovate, (6–)8–15(–18) × 3–7.5(–10) mm, (clawed, apex rounded or emarginate); filaments: median pairs 5–10 mm, lateral pair 3–6 mm; anthers narrowly oblong, (0.8–)1.2–2 mm. |
Fruiting pedicels | erect-ascending, 5–15 mm. |
erect-ascending or subdivaricate, (5–)12–25(–30) mm. |
Fruits | linear, 1–1.8 cm × ca. 1.5 mm; ovules ca. 16 per ovary; style ca. 1 mm, (stout). |
linear, (1.6–)2.5–4.5(–5) cm × (1.2–)1.5–2.3 mm; ovules 20–30 per ovary; style (0.5–)1–2.2(–2.7) mm, (stout). |
Seeds | brown, oblong, ca. 1.5 mm. |
light brown, oblong, 1.2–1.8(–2) × 1–1.4 mm. |
2n | = 56, 60, 64, 80–100. |
= 16. |
Cardamine nymanii |
Cardamine pratensis |
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Phenology | Flowering Jun–Aug. | Flowering May–Aug. |
Habitat | Wet meadows, marshes, margins of ponds, along streams, seacoasts, swamps | Moist grounds, stream sides, limestone shores, sedge and grass meadows, marshy pond margins, mossy areas, wet hollows, boggy areas, turfy shores, damp creek banks, swamps, brooks and ditches, moist ravines, springy swales |
Elevation | 0-1000 m (0-3300 ft) | |
Distribution |
AK; MB; NL; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; n Eurasia
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CT; IN; MA; ME; MI; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; VT; BC; NB; NF; NS; ON; QC; Eurasia
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Discussion | The taxonomy of Cardamine pratensis in North America requires further detailed study. Most, if not all, populations of this species were introduced from Europe. Some specimens resemble the European C. dentata Schultes (high polyploid, characterized by all leaves, including distalmost, pinnate with petiolate and sometimes deciduous leaflets) and these populations might be native. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 7, p. 478. | FNA vol. 7, p. 482. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. pratensis var. angustifolia | Dracamine pratensis |
Name authority | Gandoger: Bull. Soc. Bot. France 72: 1043. (1925) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 656. (1753) |
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