No images found for this plant ID: 7265.
Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "7265" in the "plant_image_tag" taxonomy.
heartleaf bittercress
Scientific Name: Cardamine cordifolia var. incana
Family: Brassicaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Forb/herb
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Heartleaf Bittercress (Cardamine cordifolia)
Cardamine cordifolia, commonly known as Heartleaf Bittercress, Heart-leaved Bittercress, or Large Mountain Bittercress, is a flowering plant belonging to the mustard family.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Cardamine cordifolia A. Gray
- Family: Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)
- Synonyms: Mentions of synonyms include Cardamine cordifolia var. lyallii and references suggesting other variations.
Distribution and Habitat
- Heartleaf Bittercress is found in moist, mountainous locations, particularly in the west and southwest USA.
- It grows abundantly along mountain streams.
- Specific locations mentioned include Cedar Breaks National Monument and the west slopes of Fields Peak, Malheur National Forest.
Morphological Characteristics
- It is a forb/herb, a non-woody plant that is not a grass, with green foliage.
- Bittercress grows to about a foot tall.
- The plant produces white wildflowers with typically 4 petals.
- After snow melt, it appears as tiny purple stems and leaves, growing rapidly afterward.
- It occurs in bushy clumps with large deep-green leaves.
Interactions with Other Organisms
- Scaptomyza nigrita is a specialist fly that feeds exclusively on Cardamine cordifolia (heartleaf bittercress). The flies also lay their eggs on the plant.
Further Information
- Information can be found on iNaturalist.org, Discover Life, WildflowersWest, and the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database.