Cardamine occidentalis
Encyclopedia
Cardamine occidentalis is a species of cardamine
known by the common name big western bittercress. It is native to western North America from Alaska
to northwestern California
, where it grows in moist mountain habitats.
s. It produces a branching erect or leaning stem which may root at nodes. There is a basal array of leaves, each on a petiole
and divided into many leaflets. There are also several leaves along the stem. The flower has white petals each a few millimeters long. The fruit is a silique
2 to 3 centimeters long.
Cardamine
Cardamine , is a large genus in the family Brassicaceae. It contains more than 150 species of annuals and perennials. The genus grows worldwide in diverse habitats, except in the Antarctic. Genus Dentaria is a synonym for Cardamine.The leaves can have different forms, going from minute to...
known by the common name big western bittercress. It is native to western North America from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to northwestern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows in moist mountain habitats.
Description
Cardamine occidentalis is a perennial herb growing from very small rhizomeRhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
s. It produces a branching erect or leaning stem which may root at nodes. There is a basal array of leaves, each on a petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
and divided into many leaflets. There are also several leaves along the stem. The flower has white petals each a few millimeters long. The fruit is a silique
Silique
A silique or siliqua is a fruit of 2 fused carpels with the length being more than three times the width. The outer walls of the ovary usually separate when ripe, leaving a persistent partition...
2 to 3 centimeters long.