Cardamine bulbosa (schreb. ex Muhl.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.

Bulbous bittercress (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Brassicales > Brassicaceae > Cardamine

Characteristics

Perennials; glabrous or sparsely pubescent distally. Rhizomes (tuberous at stem base, sometimes also at intervals) subglobose, lobed, 4-15 mm diam. (fleshy). Stems erect, unbranched, (1-)2-6 dm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent on distal 1/2 (trichomes 0.02-0.1 mm). Rhizomal leaves simple, (2-)4-13(-16) cm; petiole (1.5-)2.5-10(-13) cm; blade usually reniform to cordate or ovate, rarely oblong, (1-)2-4(-6) cm, base obtuse to cordate, margins usually repand or entire, rarely shallowly dentate. Cauline leaves (2-)4-10 (-14), simple, petiolate or sessile; (middle ones) shortly petiolate or (distally) sessile, base not auriculate; blade ovate to oblong, or oblong-linear to lanceolate, 3-6(-9) cm × 10-30(-45) mm, margins entire, repand, or dentate (margins minutely pubescent). Racemes ebracteate. Fruiting pedicels ascending to divaricate, (10-)15-22 (-30) mm. Flowers: sepals oblong, 2.5-4.5 × 1.5-2 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally, (glabrous); petals usually white, rarely pale pink, obovate, (6-)7-12(-16) × 3-5 mm, (short-clawed, apex rounded); filaments: median pairs 4.5-7 mm, lateral pair 2-3.5 mm; anthers oblong, 1-1.5 mm. Fruits linear, 2-3.5(-4) cm × 1.4-1.7 mm; ovules 14-24 per ovary; style 2-4(-5) mm. Seeds dark orange to greenish yellow, oblong or globose, 1.7-2.1 × 1-1.4 mm. 2n = 16, 56, 64, 80, 96, 112.
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A cabbage family herb. It has a knotty underground stem. The lower leaves are round. The leaves on the stem are sword shaped.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support aquatic
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.5
Mature height (meter) 0.4 - 0.45
Root system rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) 0.3
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

It is a temperate plant. It grows near springs, low-lying woods and wet meadows. It grows in hardiness zones 4-8.
More
By springs, bottomland woods and meadows.
Light 3-7
Soil humidity 5-8
Soil texture 1-5
Soil acidity 3-6
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 5-8

Usage

The tender young leaves near the base can be used in salads. The rootstocks can be grated and vinegar added to make horseradish.
Uses medicinal
Edible leaves roots
Therapeutic use Poison (root)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by seedlings.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Cardamine bulbosa leaf picture by Taylor (cc-by-sa)
Cardamine bulbosa leaf picture by Leah Harrison (cc-by-sa)
Cardamine bulbosa leaf picture by Leah Harrison (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Cardamine bulbosa world distribution map, present in Canada and United States of America

Conservation status

Cardamine bulbosa threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:45119-2
WFO ID wfo-0000586592
COL ID 68ZMF
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Cardamine rhomboidea f. purpurea Cardamine rhomboidea f. angustifolia Lepidium tuberosum Arabis rhomboidea Nasturtium tuberosum Cardamine bulbosa Cardamine rhomboidea Arabis bulbosa Arabis amara Cardamine purpurea Cardamine purpurea Dentaria rhomboidea Cardamine bulbosa f. bulbosa Cardamine bulbosa f. fontinalis Cardamine rhomboidea f. integrifolia Cardamine rhomboidea f. microphylla Cardamine rotundifolia Dracamine bulbosa Cardamine bulbosa var. purpurea Cardamine rhomboidea var. grandiflora Cardamine rhomboidea var. hirsuta Cardamine rhomboidea var. parviflora Cardamine rhomboidea var. pilosa