Cardamine californica

(Nuttall) Greene

Fl. Francisc., 266. 1891.

Basionym: Dentaria californica Nuttall in J. Torrey and A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 88. 1838
Synonyms: Cardamine californica var. brevistyla O. E. Schulz Cardamine californica var. cardiophylla (Greene) Rollins Cardamine californica subsp. cuneata (Greene) O. E. Schulz Cardamine californica var. cuneata (Greene) Rollins Cardamine californica var. fecunda O. E. Schulz Cardamine californica var. integrifolia (Nuttall) Rollins Cardamine californica var. pubescens O. E. Schulz Cardamine californica var. robinsoniana O. E. Schulz Cardamine californica var. sinuata (Greene) O. E. Schulz Cardamine cardiophylla (S. Watson) S. Watson Cardamine cuneata (Greene) Greene Cardamine integrifolia Cardamine integrifolia var. sinuata (Greene) C. L. Hitchcock Cardamine pachystigma var. dissectifolia (Detling) Rollins Cardamine paucisecta Cardamine sinuata Dentaria californica var. cardiophylla (Greene) Detling Dentaria californica var. cuneata (Greene) Detling Dentaria californica var. integrifolia (Nuttall) Detling Dentaria californica var. sinuata (Greene) Detling Dentaria cardiophylla Dentaria cuneata Dentaria integrifolia Dentaria integrifolia var. californica (Nuttall) Jepson Dentaria integrifolia var. cardiophylla (Greene) Jepson Dentaria integrifolia var. traceyi Jepson Dentaria pachystigma var. dissectifolia Detling Dentaria sinuata
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 7. Treatment on page 469. Mentioned on page 465, 466.

Perennials; usually glabrous, rarely minutely pubescent. Rhizomes (tuberiform, fragile), globose to ovoid or suboblong, (3–)4–10 mm diam., (fleshy, deeply underground). Stems erect, unbranched, (2–)2.7–6(–7)dm, usually glabrous, rarely pubescent. Rhizomal leaves 3 (or 5–7)-foliolate, sometimes simple, 8–25(–38) cm, leaflets petiolulate or subsessile; petiole (5–)8–25(–32) cm; lateral leaflets (when present) petiolulate to subsessile, blade similar to terminal, sometimes smaller; terminal leaflet (petiolule (0.7–)2–5(–11) cm), blade (of simple leaf) ovate to orbicular to broadly cordate or reniform, (1.5–)2.5–7.5(–10) cm × (12–)20–90(–130) mm, base obtuse to cordate, margins entire or dentate to shallowly sinuate, (often with apiculae at veins ending at margin, sometimes minutely pubescent on veins). Cauline leaves 2–5, usually 3 (or 5)-foliolate, rarely simple, petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or sessile; petiole 1–5(–9) cm, base not auriculate; lateral leaflets sessile, blade similar to terminal, smaller, margins usually dentate, rarely entire; terminal leaflet sessile or petiolulate, blade usually broadly ovate to suborbicular or lanceolate, rarely narrowly oblong, 1–7 cm × (5–)10–47(–65) mm. Racemes ebracteate. Fruiting pedicels ascending to divaricate, 10–33(–41) mm. Flowers: sepals (erect to ascending), oblong, 3.5–4.5(–5.5) × 1.5–2(–2.5) mm, lateral pair saccate basally; petals white to pale rose, often broadly obovate, 8–13(–15) × 4–8 mm (clawed, apex rounded); filaments: median pairs 4–6.5 mm, lateral pair 3–4 mm; anthers oblong, 1.2–1.7 mm. Fruits linear, 2.2–5.4(–6) cm × 2–3 mm; ovules 12–22 per ovary; style 2–5(–6) mm. Seeds dark brown, oblong to broadly ovoid, 1.7–2.8 × 1.2–1.8 mm. 2n = 32.


Phenology: Flowering Jan–May.
Habitat: Wooded ravines, forest floors, shady slopes, open woods, shady rock crevices, stream banks and bottoms, canyons, moist hillsides, cliffs
Elevation: 0-1400 m

Distribution

V7 716-distribution-map.gif

Calif., Mexico (Baja California).

Discussion

The synonymy above suggests that Schulz, Detling, and Rollins did not agree on the characters used or the number and rank of taxa recognized. The taxonomy of this complex is based solely on differences in the number of leaflets, their division, size, and shape, all other aspects of these plants (e.g., rhizomes, flowers, fruits, and seeds) being fairly uniform. Indeed, the infraspecific taxa recognized represent only part of the overall variation in the species, and one is faced with either recognizing poorly defined infraspecific taxa or treating the entire complex as a single polymorphic species. In the absence of thorough biosystematic and molecular studies on this group, we prefer not to recognize any infraspecific taxa.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Cardamine californica"
Ihsan A. Al-Shehbaz +, Karol Marhold +  and Judita Lihová +
(Nuttall) Greene +
Dentaria californica +
Calif. +  and Mexico (Baja California). +
0-1400 m +
Wooded ravines, forest floors, shady slopes, open woods, shady rock crevices, stream banks and bottoms, canyons, moist hillsides, cliffs +
Flowering Jan–May. +
Fl. Francisc., +
Cardamine californica var. brevistyla +, Cardamine californica var. cardiophylla +, Cardamine californica subsp. cuneata +, Cardamine californica var. cuneata +, Cardamine californica var. fecunda +, Cardamine californica var. integrifolia +, Cardamine californica var. pubescens +, Cardamine californica var. robinsoniana +, Cardamine californica var. sinuata +, Cardamine cardiophylla +, Cardamine cuneata +, Cardamine integrifolia +, Cardamine integrifolia var. sinuata +, Cardamine pachystigma var. dissectifolia +, Cardamine paucisecta +, Cardamine sinuata +, Dentaria californica var. cardiophylla +, Dentaria californica var. cuneata +, Dentaria californica var. integrifolia +, Dentaria californica var. sinuata +, Dentaria cardiophylla +, Dentaria cuneata +, Dentaria integrifolia +, Dentaria integrifolia var. californica +, Dentaria integrifolia var. cardiophylla +, Dentaria integrifolia var. traceyi +, Dentaria pachystigma var. dissectifolia +  and Dentaria sinuata +
Cardamine californica +
Cardamine +
species +