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Cardamine pattersonii

Saddle Mountain bitter-cress

purple bittercress

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

cylindrical, slender, 0.5–1.5 mm diam.

vertical, 1–3 mm diam., (not fleshy).

Stems

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

(simple or few to several from base), usually erect, unbranched, (0.3–)0.5–1.2(–1.5) 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.

sometimes rosulate, usually 3 or 5-foliolate, rarely simple, (1.5–)2.5–7 cm, leaflets petiolulate or sessile;

petiole (1.2–)2–5 cm;

lateral lobes or leaflets sessile, blade similar to terminal, distinctly smaller;

terminal lobe or leaflet petiolulate (0.05–0.6 cm), blade reniform or suborbicular to broadly ovate, 0.3–1 cm × 4–15 mm, base subcordate to rounded, margins entire, repand, or obscurely 2-toothed.

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.

1–3, usually compound, rarely simple, petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or sessile;

petiole (0.2–)0.5–2 cm, base not auriculate;

similar to basal, 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 oblong, 2–3(–4) × 1.4–1.7 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally;

petals usually purple to pink, rarely white, obovate, 5–7(–9) × 3–4(–5) mm, (clawed, apex rounded);

filaments: median pairs 2.5–3.5 mm, lateral pair 1.5–3.5 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.6–0.9 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

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

suberect, ascending, or divaricate, 5–12 mm, pubescent.

Fruits

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

ovules 14–20 per ovary;

style 2–4 mm.

linear, 1.5–2.5 cm × 1.5–1.8 mm;

ovules 10–14 per ovary;

style 1–2.5 mm.

Seeds

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

brown, oblong to broadly ovoid, 1.7–2.1 × 1.4–1.7 mm.

2n

= 96.

Cardamine pattersonii

Cardamine purpurea

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Moist mossy cliffs, rocky slopes, mossy banks Moist tundra, damp woods and ravines, alpine turf, river flats, peaty subarctic meadows, streamsides, moist slopes
Elevation 800-900 m (2600-3000 ft) 600-1800 m (2000-5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; YT; e Asia (Russian Far East)
[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. 483.
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. occidentalis, C. oligosperma, C. pachystigma, C. parviflora, C. pattersonii, C. penduliflora, C. pensylvanica, C. pratensis, C. rotundifolia, C. rupicola, C. umbellata
Synonyms C. purpurea var. albiflora, C. purpurea var. albiflos, C. purpurea var. lactiflora
Name authority L. F. Henderson: Rhodora 32: 25. (1930) Chamisso & Schlechtendal: Linnaea 1: 20. (1826)
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