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Richardson's bittercress

rock toothwort, serpentine bittercress

Habit Perennials; glabrous throughout. Perennials; glabrous.
Rhizomes

cylindrical, slender, 0.5–1.5 mm diam.

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

Stems

erect, unbranched, (0.6–)1–2(–3) dm.

erect, unbranched, 1–3 dm.

Rhizomal leaves

pinnately 5 or 7-foliolate, (2–)4–10 cm, (not fleshy), leaflets sessile;

petiole (1.5–)3–7(–9) cm;

lateral leaflets similar to terminal, blade sometimes smaller;

terminal leaflet blade linear to narrowly oblong or narrowly lanceolate, (0.5–)1–2.5(–3.3) cm × 0.5–4(–8) mm, base cuneate to attenuate, margins entire.

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.

Cauline leaves

(1 or) 2 or 3, 5 or 7-foliolate, petiolate, leaflets sessile;

petiole (0.2–)0.5–1.2(–1.5) cm, base not auriculate;

lateral leaflets similar to terminal, blade smaller;

terminal leaflet blade narrowly lanceolate to linear, 1–3.2(–4) cm × 0.8–2.5(–3.5) mm, base cuneate to attenuate, margins entire (apex acute to acuminate).

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.

Racemes

ebracteate.

ebracteate.

Flowers

sepals ovate, 2.5–3.5 × 1.5–2.5 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally;

petals white, obovate, 5–9 × 2.5–5 mm (clawed, apex rounded);

filaments: median pairs 3–4.5 mm, lateral pair 1.5–2.5 mm;

anthers oblong, 1–1.5 mm.

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.

Fruiting pedicels

suberect to divaricate-ascending, (7–)10–25 mm.

divaricate to ascending, 7–24 mm.

Fruits

linear, (1.5–)2–4 cm × 1.5–2 mm;

ovules 6–12 per ovary;

style (1–)1.5–2.5(–4) mm.

linear, 3.2–5.4 cm × 2.2–4 mm;

ovules 10–14 per ovary;

style 4–7 mm.

Seeds

brown, oblong, 1.8–2.2 × 0.9–1.1 mm.

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

2n

= 28, 42.

Cardamine digitata

Cardamine pachystigma

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat Damp flats, stream banks, tundra, meadows, bluffs, hummocks, sandy beaches, slopes, mossy mats, sedge swales Forests, lava slides, talus, cliffs
Elevation 0-1400 m (0-4600 ft) 700-2900 m (2300-9500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; NT; YT; ne Asia (Russian Far East, Siberia)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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. 472. FNA vol. 7, p. 480.
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. 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. 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. parviflora, C. pattersonii, C. penduliflora, C. pensylvanica, C. pratensis, C. purpurea, C. rotundifolia, C. rupicola, C. umbellata
Synonyms C. digitata var. oxyphylla, C. hyperborea, C. hyperborea var. oxyphylla, C. richardsonii Dentaria californica var. pachystigma, C. californica var. pachystigma, Dentaria corymbosa var. grata, Dentaria pachystigma
Name authority Richardson: in J. Franklin, Narr. Journey Polar Sea, 743. (1823) (S. Watson) Rollins: Harvard Pap. Bot. 1(4): 45. (1993)
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