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Cardamine pattersonii

Saddle Mountain bitter-cress

streambank bittercress

Habit Annuals or perennials; (short-lived); glabrous throughout. Perennials; glabrous throughout.
Rhizomes

cylindrical, slender, 0.5–1.5 mm diam.

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

Stems

(simple from base), erect, (not flexuous), unbranched or branched basally, 0.6–3 dm.

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

Basal leaves

rosulate or not, 3 or 5-foliolate, 1–6 cm, leaflets petiolulate;

petiole 0.4–2.5 cm;

lateral leaflets similar to terminal, considerably smaller;

terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.1–0.4 cm), blade obovate to orbicular or subcordate, 0.3–1.5(–2.0) cm × 2.5–16(–18) mm, base obtuse to rounded or cordate, margins entire or dentate to slightly sinuately lobed.

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

2–4, 3 or 5-foliolate, blade similar to basal, gradually reduced in size as bract, distalmost ones subtending pedicels of flowers (usually simple);

leaflet blade or bract linear to linear-oblanceolate, 0.2–0.8 cm.

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.

Racemes

bracteate throughout.

ebracteate.

Flowers

sepals oblong, (2–)3 × 0.7(–1) mm, lateral pair not saccate basally;

petals purple or pink, obovate, 6–9 × 3–4 mm, (not clawed);

filaments: median pairs 3–3.5 mm, lateral pair 2–2.5 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.7–1 mm.

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.

Fruiting pedicels

divaricate-ascending, (10–)15–30(–45) mm.

divaricate, 9–17 mm.

Fruits

linear, (torulose), 2–3 cm × 1–1.5 mm;

ovules 14–20 per ovary;

style 2–4 mm.

linear, 0.8–1.6 cm × 0.8–1 mm;

ovules 16–22 per ovary;

style 1.2–1.8 mm.

Seeds

brown, oblong to ovoid, 1.7–2.2 × 1–1.5 mm, (winged distally).

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

Cardamine pattersonii

Cardamine micranthera

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat Moist mossy cliffs, rocky slopes, mossy banks Wet grounds along streams, seepage, gravelly sandbars, moist crevices
Elevation 800-900 m (2600-3000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NC
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Cardamine pattersonii is known from Saddle Mountain and Onion Peak in Clastop County.

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

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. 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. pachystigma, C. parviflora, 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. 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
Name authority L. F. Henderson: Rhodora 32: 25. (1930) Rollins: Castanea 5: 87. (1940)
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