Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains
22. Brassicaceae, the Mustard Family
2. Cardamine L. -- Bitter cress1. Cardamine bulbosa (Schreb.) B.S.P. -- Spring cress
Erect perennial from a short thick tuber, 1.5-6 dm tall, the foliage watercress-flavored; stems single or few together, simple or sparingly branched above into lateral racemes, glabrous or puberulent near the base. Leaves simple, the basal leaves long-petioled, with blades oval to rotund, slightly sinuate to remotely crenate, rounded to cordate at the base; cauline leaves short-petioled to sessile upward, the blades oblong to elliptic, 2-7 cm long, 0.5-2.5 cm wide, irregularly sinuate to sinuate-dentate, cuneate at the base. Sepals 2-4 mm long; petals 6-12 mm long. Siliques 10-25 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, on pedicels 1-3 cm long. Late May--Jun. Springs, fens, wet meadows and stream margins, where water is fresh; occasional in se ND, e SD, e and c NE; (Que. to se ND, s to FL and e TX).
Previous Species -- Barbarea vulgaris R. Br.
Return to Family -- Brassicaceae - The Mustard Family
Next Species -- Cardamine pensylvanica Muhl. ex Willd. -- Bitter Cress
