Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center


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Western Wetland Flora

Field Office Guide to Plant Species

Brewer's Bitter-cress
Cardamine breweri S. Wats.

JPG -- Species Photo JPG -- Distribution Map

Family: Mustard (Cruciferae)
Flowering: May-July
Field Marks: This species is readily recognized by its simple lower leaves and its pinnately compound upper leaves.
Habitat: Along streams in the mountains.
Habit: Perennial herb with slender, creeping rootstocks.
Stems: Spreading and rooting at the nodes or upright, usually unbranched, up to 2 feet tall, smooth or sparsely hairy.
Leaves: Basal leaves usually simple, ovate, pointed at the tip, heart-shaped at the base, smooth or nearly so, up to 2 inches long, usually without teeth, on a long stalk; upper leaves alternate, pinnately compound with 3-5 leaflets, the leaflet
Flowers: Several in an uncrowded raceme, each flower on a stalk 1/4-3/4 inch long.
Sepals: 4, green, free from each other, about 1/12 inch long.
Petals: 4, white, free from each other, up to 1/4 inch long.
Stamens: 6.
Pistils: Ovary superior, smooth.
Fruits: Pods elongated, ascending to erect, smooth, up to 1 inch long, less than 1/16 inch wide, with 10-20 nearly spherical seeds.

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Page Last Modified: Saturday, 02-Feb-2013 06:26:13 EST
Menlo Park, CA [caww54]