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alpine bittercress

Scientific Name: Cardamine bellidifolia var. pachyphylla

Family: Brassicaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Forb/herb

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Alpine Bittercress (Cardamine bellidifolia)

Alpine Bittercress, scientifically known as Cardamine bellidifolia, is a member of the Cardamine genus, commonly referred to as bittercress or bitter-cress.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Cardamine bellidifolia L.
  • Common Names: Alpine Bittercress, Alpine Cress, Alpine Bitter-cress
  • Family: Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Artificial Group: Vascular plant (Tracheophytes)
  • Superphylum: Spermatophyte
  • Phylum: Magnoliophyta
  • Subclass: Magnoliidae
  • Synonyms:
    • Cardamine alpina
    • Cardamine bellidifolia var. beringensis
    • Cardamine bellidifolia var. laxa
    • Cardamine bellidifolia var. pachyphylla
    • Cardamine lenensis

Distribution and Habitat

  • Alpine Bittercress has a circumboreal distribution.
  • It is considered very rare in New England, specifically found only in northern Maine and New Hampshire.
  • It grows in subalpine to alpine meadows.
  • It is found in habitats such as cliffs and acidic rocks and screes.
  • Specific locations mentioned include:
    • Northern Maine and New Hampshire
    • California
    • Swedish Lapland (Gungarrlehppi, between Alesjaure and Tjktja)
    • Passo Sella, Dolomites, Italy
    • Finland (Kilpisjärvi, Lapland)

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • Alpine Bittercress is a forb/herb, meaning it is a non-woody plant that is not a grass.
  • It is a perennial herb.

Ecological Role

  • In southeastern alpine regions, it can be found in beech forests (Fagus sylvatica), as well as those including Abies alba and Picea abies.

Further Information

  • USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
  • Discover Life