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rock toothwort, serpentine bittercress

small-leaf bittercress

Habit Perennials; glabrous. Perennials; usually glabrous, rarely sparsely hirtellous.
Rhizomes

ovoid to oblong, (3–)4–18 mm diam., (fleshy, deeply underground).

cylindrical, slender, 0.7–1.5 mm diam.

Stems

erect, unbranched, 1–3 dm.

erect or ascending, unbranched, 0.3–1.5(–2) dm.

Rhizomal leaves

simple, 1.2–2.3 cm;

petiole 6.7–19.5 cm;

blade orbicular to reniform, or cordate to broadly ovate, 2.7–5.5 cm × 30–68 mm, base cordate to subtruncate, margins with obtuse teeth terminating in apiculae.

pinnately 5 or 7-foliolate, (1.3–)2.5–6.5 cm, (not fleshy), leaflets petiolulate;

petiole (0.5–)1.5–5.5 cm;

lateral leaflets similar to terminal, blade sometimes smaller;

terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.15–0.7 cm), blade ovate to elliptic, (0.2–)0.4–1.2(–1.5) cm × (1–)2.5–6 mm, base cuneate to obtuse, margins entire, (apiculate).

Cauline leaves

2–5, (crowded distally), simple;

petiole 0.3–2.6 cm, base not auriculate;

blade similar to basal, 1.8–5.5 cm × 12–47mm, base cuneate or obtuse to subcordate, marginal teeth apiculate.

1–3, 5 or 7-foliolate, petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile;

petiole 0.2–1.5 cm, base not auriculate;

lateral leaflets similar to terminal;

terminal leaflet (subsessile or petiolule to 0.2 cm), blade ovate to elliptic, 0.6–1.3 × 0.1–0.7 cm, base cuneate, margins entire.

Racemes

ebracteate.

ebracteate.

Flowers

sepals oblong, 4–7 × 2–2.5 mm, lateral pair saccate basally;

petals usually pink or purple, rarely white, obovate to oblanceolate, 14–18 × 5–7 mm, (claw to 9 mm, apex rounded);

filaments: median pairs 7–8 mm, lateral pair 5.5–6.5 mm;

anthers oblong, ca. 1.5 mm.

sepals ovate to oblong, 3–4 × 1.8–2.5 mm, lateral pair slightly saccate basally;

petals usually white, rarely lavender, broadly obovate, 7–10 × 3–6 mm, (clawed, apex rounded);

filaments: median pairs 3–4.5 mm, lateral pair 2–3 mm;

anthers oblong, 1–1.5 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

divaricate to ascending, 7–24 mm.

erect to ascending, 7–15(–25) mm.

Fruits

linear, 3.2–5.4 cm × 2.2–4 mm;

ovules 10–14 per ovary;

style 4–7 mm.

linear, 2–3 cm × 1.2–1.7 mm;

ovules 12–16 per ovary;

style 1–2 mm.

Seeds

brown, broadly ovoid, 2–2.8 × 1.8–2.5 mm.

brown, oblong, ca. 1.5 × 1 mm.

2n

= 28, 42, 64.

Cardamine pachystigma

Cardamine microphylla

Phenology Flowering Mar–May. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Forests, lava slides, talus, cliffs Streamsides, sand and cobbles on gravel bars, shale banks, floodplains, alluvial sand between cobbles, moist moss, turf, seepage areas, meadows, wet grounds
Elevation 700-2900 m (2300-9500 ft) 0-1600 m (0-5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; NT; YT; e Asia (Russian Far East, Siberia)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cardamine pachystigma is known from the disjunct counties of Plumas, Tehama, and Tulare.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 480. FNA vol. 7, p. 477.
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. micranthera, C. microphylla, C. nuttallii, C. nymanii, C. occidentalis, C. oligosperma, 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. 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
Synonyms Dentaria californica var. pachystigma, C. californica var. pachystigma, Dentaria corymbosa var. grata, Dentaria pachystigma C. minuta
Name authority (S. Watson) Rollins: Harvard Pap. Bot. 1(4): 45. (1993) Adams: Mém. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 5: 111. (1817)
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