Cardamine hirsuta L. - Hairy Bittercress
Family - Brassicaceae
Stems - Glabrous, green or sometimes purplish in strong sun, to +40cm tall, terete, from a taproot, typically multiple from the base, erect, herbaceous, typically simple.
Leaves - No info. yet.
Base of petiole.
Inflorescence - No info. yet.
Flowers - No info. yet.
Flowering - March - April.
Habitat - Waste ground, disturbed sites, roadsides, lawns, fields, railroads.
Origin - Native to Europe.
Other info. - This introduced species can be found scattered in Missouri and the plant is becoming much more common.
Photographs taken in Brown Summit, NC., 3-10-03.
Calyx.
Infructescence.
Many members of the genus Cardamine can be hard to distinguish in the field. C. hirsuta can be identified by its many basal leaves, glabrous stems, and basal leaf petioles - which have hirsute hairs at the base. The basal leaves of this species dry and wilt as the plant matures so it is best identified while young.
C. hirsuta can flower when quite small. The picture below shows a tiny plant typical of how the species looks in an area that gets mowed or has poor soil.
