Cardamine oligosperma Nutt.

Little western bittercress (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Brassicales > Brassicaceae > Cardamine

Characteristics

Annuals or biennials; usually sparsely hirsute (at least proximally), rarely glabrous. Rhizomes absent. Stems (simple or few from base), erect to ascending, (not flexuous), unbranched or branched distally, (0.5-) 0.8-3.2(-4.1) dm, usually pubescent throughout or proximally, rarely glabrous. Basal leaves (persistent to anthesis), rosulate, pinnately compound, 5-9(-13)-foliolate, 2-8.5(-11) cm, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile; petiole 1-6 cm; lateral leaflets petiolulate or subsessile, blade obovate to oblanceolate, smaller than terminal, margins entire or crenate; terminal leaflet (petiolule 0.1-0.7 cm), blade usually orbicular to ovate, rarely oblong, 0.4-1.5(-2.3) cm × 3-10(-13) mm, base cordate to rounded, margins entire, or crenate-dentate to obscurely 3 or 5-lobed, (surfaces often hirsute, sometimes glabrous). Cauline leaves 3-8, pinnately compound, similar to basal, smaller and fewer distally, petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile; petiole 0.5-2 cm, base not auriculate. Racemes ebracteate. Fruiting pedicels divaricate-ascending, (2-)3-9(-12) mm. Flowers: sepals oblong, 1.3-1.8(-2) × 0.5-1 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally; petals white, narrowly spatulate to oblanceolate, 2.5-3.5 × 0.9-1.5 mm (not clawed); filaments: median pairs 1.7-2.5 mm, lateral pair 1.2-2 mm; anthers ovate, 0.3-0.5 mm. Fruits linear, (torulose), (1.3-)1.6-2.8 cm × 1-1.7 mm; (valves glabrous or sparsely pubescent); ovules 16-36(-42) per ovary; style 0.4-1(-1.5) mm. Seeds brown, oblong, 1-1.6 × 0.8-1.2 mm. 2n = 16.
More
A cabbage family herb.
Life form
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.3 - 0.33
Root system fibrous-root rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) 0.2
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Widespread in wet places.
More
It is a temperate plant.
Light 3-6
Soil humidity 5-7
Soil texture 1-4
Soil acidity 3-6
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-7

Usage

The peppery rosette leaves are added to salads. They can also be cooked and eaten like spinach.
Uses medicinal
Edible leaves
Therapeutic use -
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°) -35
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Cardamine oligosperma leaf picture by Kenneth Robertson (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

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

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:280537-1
WFO ID wfo-0000587263
COL ID R4K4
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Cardamine bracteata Cardamine oligosperma Cardamine unijuga Cardamine lucens Cardamine hirsuta var. bracteata Cardamine hirsuta subsp. oligosperma Cardamine oligosperma var. bracteata Cardamine oligosperma var. lucens Cardamine oligosperma var. unijuga

Lower taxons

Cardamine oligosperma var. kamtschatica