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Cardamine pattersonii

Saddle Mountain bitter-cress

big western bitter-cress, western bitter-cress, western toothwort

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

cylindrical, slender, 0.5–1.5 mm diam.

(tuberiform, fragile), ovoid or globose at base of stem, 3–10 mm diam., (fleshy).

Stems

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

(simple from base), erect to ascending, (not flexuous), unbranched or branched distally, 1–5 dm, glabrous or pubescent proximally.

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.

not rosulate, pinnately compound, (3 or) 5 (or 7)-foliolate, 2–10 cm, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile;

petiole 0.5–6.5 cm;

lateral leaflets petiolulate or subsessile, blade similar to terminal, ovate, smaller, margins entire;

terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.03–0.18 cm), blade orbicular to broadly ovate or subcordate, 0.5–2 cm × 7–25 mm, base cordate to rounded, margins entire or repand, (surfaces glabrous).

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.

3–7, (3 or) 5 or 7-foliolate (middle ones 5 or 7-foliolate, smaller distally, becoming 3-foliolate), petiolate;

petiole 0.5–3 cm, base not auriculate;

lateral leaflets similar to terminal, smaller;

terminal leaflet blade obovate to oblanceolate, 0.5–2.6 cm × 3–13 mm, margins shallowly toothed, entire, or repand.

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 oblong, 1.7–2 × 1–1.2 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally;

petals white, oblanceolate, 4–6 × 1.5–2 mm, (not clawed);

filaments: median pairs 2–2.5 mm, lateral pair 1–1.5 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.3–0.5 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

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

divaricate-ascending, 7–18 mm.

Fruits

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

ovules 14–20 per ovary;

style 2–4 mm.

linear, (torulose), 1.5–3.3 cm × 1.7–2.2 mm; (valves glabrous or sparsely pubescent);

ovules 18–40 per ovary;

style 0.5–1.5 mm.

Seeds

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

brown, ovoid, 1–1.6 × 1–1.2 mm.

2n

= 64.

Cardamine pattersonii

Cardamine occidentalis

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Moist mossy cliffs, rocky slopes, mossy banks Muddy grounds, lake margins, shallow streams, meadows
Elevation 800-900 m (2600-3000 ft) 150-1500 m (500-4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 480. 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. 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. micranthera, C. microphylla, C. nuttallii, C. nymanii, C. oligosperma, C. pachystigma, C. parviflora, C. pattersonii, C. penduliflora, C. pensylvanica, C. pratensis, C. purpurea, C. rotundifolia, C. rupicola, C. umbellata
Synonyms C. pratensis var. occidentalis, C. neglecta
Name authority L. F. Henderson: Rhodora 32: 25. (1930) (S. Watson) Howell: Fl. N.W. Amer., 50. (1897)
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