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low yellow-cress, Modoc yellow-cress, slender yellowcress, watercress, yellow cress

blunt-leaf yellow-cress, common yellow-cress, truncate yellowcress

Habit Annuals; (terrestrial or of wet habitat, not submerged); glabrous throughout. Annuals or, rarely, perennials; (short-lived, terrestrial or of wet habitat, not submerged); glabrous or hirsute, (trichomes cylindrical).
Stems

(several-branched from base), prostrate to decumbent, branched distally, 0.7–3.5(–4) dm.

(few to several from base), usually ascending, decumbent, or prostrate, rarely erect, branched distally, 1–4.2(–5) dm, (hirsute proximally).

Basal leaves

not rosulate;

blade margins pinnatifid.

not rosulate;

blade margins pinnatifid.

Cauline leaves

shortly petiolate, or (distal) sessile;

blade oblong to oblanceolate or lanceolate, (lateral lobes linear, oblong to ovate, or obovate), 2–9(–11) cm × 7–20(–30) mm, (lateral lobes smaller than terminal), base not auriculate, margins pinnatifid, or (lateral lobes) entire, dentate, or sinuate.

shortly petiolate or sessile;

blade oblong or oblanceolate to obovate, (terminal lobe oblong), (2–)3.5–10(–12) cm × (5–)10–30(–37) mm, (lateral lobe smaller than terminal), base usually auriculate, rarely amplexicaul, margins: proximal pinnatifid or sinuate, distal dentate or entire, (surfaces sparsely pubescent).

Racemes

elongated.

elongated.

Flowers

sepals ascending, oblong, 0.7–1.3 × 0.4–0.7 mm;

petals yellow, oblong to oblanceolate or spatulate, 0.5–0.8 × 0.1–0.3 mm;

median filaments 0.8–1.2 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.1–0.2 mm.

sepals erect, oblong, 0.8–1.8 × 0.5–1 mm;

petals (erect), yellow, oblanceolate to spatulate, 0.5–1.8 × 0.2–1 mm;

median filaments 0.9–1.3mm;

anthers ovate, 0.3–0.5 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

ascending to divaricate, (1–)1.5–3.2(–4.2) mm, straight.

divaricate-ascending to horizontal, straight or recurved, (1.2–)1.7–5(–8) mm.

Fruits

siliques or silicles, curved-ascending, lanceolate to narrowly ovoid or oblong-lanceolate, 3–7(–9) × (0.8–)1–1.7(–2) mm (often slightly constricted at middle);

valves papillate;

ovules 20–80 per ovary;

style (0.2–)0.5–1 mm.

silicles or siliques, curved, ovoid to pyriform, 2–8(–8.8) × (0.5–)1–2.5 mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules (20–)30–80 per ovary;

style 0.3–1 mm.

Seeds

biseriate, reddish brown, cordiform, 0.5–0.7 mm, colliculate.

biseriate, brown, cordiform, 0.5–0.7 mm, colliculate.

2n

= 16.

Rorippa tenerrima

Rorippa curvipes

Phenology Flowering Jun–Oct. Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Shores of lakes and ponds, mud flats, marshes, sand bars, moist grounds, streamsides Muddy shores of lakes and ponds, stream beds and banks, edges of cultivated fields, wet roadside, meadows, seepage areas, ditches, creeks, gravel bars
Elevation 1300-3000 m (4300-9800 ft) 100-3500 m (300-11500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; OR; SD; TX; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; SK; Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; AZ; CA; CO; ID; IL; KS; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; OR; SD; TX; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; SK; Mexico (Coahuila)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 505. FNA vol. 7, p. 499.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Cardamineae > Rorippa Brassicaceae > tribe Cardamineae > Rorippa
Sibling taxa
R. alpina, R. amphibia, R. aquatica, R. austriaca, R. barbareifolia, R. calycina, R. columbiae, R. crystallina, R. curvipes, R. curvisiliqua, R. dubia, R. indica, R. microtitis, R. palustris, R. ramosa, R. sessiliflora, R. sinuata, R. sphaerocarpa, R. subumbellata, R. sylvestris, R. teres
R. alpina, R. amphibia, R. aquatica, R. austriaca, R. barbareifolia, R. calycina, R. columbiae, R. crystallina, R. curvisiliqua, R. dubia, R. indica, R. microtitis, R. palustris, R. ramosa, R. sessiliflora, R. sinuata, R. sphaerocarpa, R. subumbellata, R. sylvestris, R. tenerrima, R. teres
Synonyms Radicula tenerrima Cardamine palustris var. jonesii, Radicula curvipes, Radicula integra, Radicula sinuata var. integra, Radicula sinuata var. truncata, Radicula underwoodii, R. curvipes var. integra, R. curvipes var. truncata, R. integra, R. obtusa var. integra, R. truncata, R. underwoodii
Name authority Greene: Erythea 3: 46. (1895) Greene: Pittonia 3: 97. (1896)
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