Key to Cardamine

View taxon page for Cardamine

(For a list of species in Cardamine, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. At least some cauline leaves 

simple 

Composed of a single part; undivided; unbranched.

or 0

2. Caudex distinct; rhizomes 0; cauline leaves 0 or 1(2) ..... C. bellidifolia

2' Caudex 0; rhizomes present; cauline leaves 2–23

3. Rhizome not fleshy, 1–3 mm wide; 

rhizome 

1. In seed plants, stem that is often elongate, more or less horizontal, usually underground; distinguished from roots by bearing of leaves, leaf scars, axillary buds, etc. 2. In ferns, stem that is located underground, embedded in leaf litter, on rocks or in rock crevices, or on trees or tree branches, often scaly or hairy; distinguished from roots by bearing of fronds (roots rarely bear fronds), and their greater diameter.

leaves generally 0 ..... C. cordifolia

3' Rhizome fleshy, (3)4–18 mm wide; rhizome leaves present

4. Petals white or pale rose, 8–13(15) mm; seeds 12–22; stem (2)2.7–6(7) dm; leaflets of rhizome leaves (0)3(5–7) ..... C. californica (2)

4' Petals pink to purple (white), 14–18 mm; seeds 10–14; stem 1–3 dm; rhizome leaves simple ..... C. pachystigma

1' Cauline leaves pinnately or palmately compound; leaflets 3–25, occasionally pinnately divided, appearing compound

5. Annual or biennial; rhizomes 0

6. Basal leaves not rosetted, early-deciduous ..... C. pensylvanica

6' Basal leaves rosetted, persistent

7. Stamens 4(6); 

pedicels 

Stalk of an individual flower in an inflorescence, or the corresponding structure in fruit.

 

erect 

Upright; vertically oriented.

to 

ascending 

Curving or angling upward from base, or about 30-60 degrees less than vertical or away from axis of attachment.

; fruit generally 

appressed 

Parallel or nearly parallel to and often in contact with surface of origin; used to describe the disposition of hairs, leaves, pedicels, etc.

, glabrous; seeds margined ..... C. hirsuta

7' Stamens 6; pedicels ascending to 

spreading 

Oriented more or less perpendicularly to the axis of attachment; often, more or less horizontal.

; fruit generally not appressed, sparsely hairy or glabrous; seeds not margined ..... C. oligosperma

5' Perennial herb; rhizomed

8. Rhizome not fleshy, 

cylindric 

Elongate, with parallel sides and, at any point, round in transverse section.

9. Rhizome leaves present; seeds 6–16(24) ..... C. angulata

9' Rhizome leaves 0; seeds 14–28 ..... C. breweri

8' Rhizome fleshy, segments 

fusiform 

Elongate, widest at the middle, tapered to both ends.

, ovoid to 

oblong 

Longer than wide, with nearly parallel sides; wider than linear.

or spheric

10. Leaflets of cauline leaves 5–7; sepals 1.7–2 mm; petals 4–6 mm ..... C. occidentalis

10' Leaflets of cauline leaves 3(5); sepals 3.5–5.5 mm; petals 8–15 mm

11. Cauline leaves 2–5; stem (2)2.7–6(7) dm; seeds 12–22; petals white or pale rose ..... C. californica (2)

11' Cauline leaves 1–3; stem 0.5–2(3) dm; seeds 8–16; petals pale pink to purple (white) ..... C. nuttallii

Please use this Google Form for Contact/Feedback

Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) . Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ [accessed on ]

Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on .

We encourage links to these pages, but the content may not be downloaded for reposting, repackaging, redistributing, or sale in any form, without written permission from The Jepson Herbarium.