Species: Cardamine parviflora var. arenicola (Britt.) O.E. Schulz

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Cardamine parviflora var. arenicola (Britt.) O.E. Schulz

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Brassicaceae

Genus:

Cardamine

Species Synonyms:

Cardamine arenicola Britt.

Common Names:

sand bittercress
small-flower bitter cress

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

Mackenzie District (Northwest Territories) - northeastern British Columbia, east-central Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba - Newfoundland to Nova Scotia

Saskatchewan:

east-central Saskatchewan; Churchill River

Ecoregion:

Boreal Transition, Churchill River Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

rocky or sandy shores

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Endangered

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S1

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Sand bittercress is endangered in Saskatchewan because it is rare and most local populations are small.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

10 – 25 cm

Roots:

taproot slender

Stems:

annual or biennial, erect, simple to branched, hairless

Leaves:

basal and on the stem, stalked, pinnately compound, leaflets 7 – 11, leaves 1 – 4 cm long, to 1 cm wide; basal leaves with ovate to rounded leaflets; stem leaves alternate, leaflets to 5 mm long, 1 – 2 mm wide, linear to narrowly spoon-shaped, not winged on central axis, terminal leaflet often slightly larger than lateral leaflets

Inflorescence:

unbranched, flowers crowded; stalks slender, 5 – 8 mm long

Flowers:

minute; sepals distinct, purple tipped; petals 4, cross-shaped, to 3.5 mm long, spatula-shaped, white

Fruits:

pod ascending, 2 – 3 cm long, to 1 mm wide, beakless or with style up to 0.7 mm long; seeds 0.7 - 0.9 mm; membranous partition persistent after seed dispersal

CARDAMINE KEY IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Flowers 15 – 25 mm broad; petals generally pink, rarely white	C. pratensis
1 Flowers 3 – 10 mm broad; petals white	2

2 Stems hairy at base; stem leaves 4 – 8 cm long; leaflets broad, winged on central axis, terminal leaflets widest at the top	C. pensylvanica
2 Stems hairless throughout; stem leaves 2 – 4 cm long; leaflets narrow, not winged on central axis, terminal leaflet linear	C. parviflora var. arenicola