Cardamine bilobata
Common names
native bittercress
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
Low-growing herb with single rosettes or in small clumps. Leaves deeply three lobed, sometimes with additional pair of leaflets; dull green to purplish, thin, fleshy, hairless. Flower stems sparsely branched, hairless, up to 30 cm tall. Flowers large, white, about 8 mm across, 4-petalled with 6 stamens. Seeds up to 1mm long, pale brown, oblong, in slender linear pods up to 2.5 cm long.
Similar taxa
Cardamine corymbosa Hook.f., and C. aff. bilobata. From C. corymbosa it differs by its larger fruits, and three lobed leaves. C. aff. bilobata differs by its entire, unlobed leaves.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (North-west Nelson and east of the main divide).
Habitat
Mainly low alpine 900–1500m elevation. Usually in fellfield, on moraine or scree edges, or rock crevices, also damp places in tussock grassland.
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: CD, OL
Threats
Based on herbarium evidence it would seem that the species was more widespread and common than it is now. Being a cress, it is highly palatable, and it may have declined as a result of browsing pressure. The species is also considered to be quite elusive (P.B. Heenan pers. comm.) and is rarely seen even in apparently suitable habitat.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
None
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
January–February
Fruiting
January–February
Life cycle and dispersal
Seeds are dispersed by ballistic projection, water and attachment (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed.
Other information
Etymology
cardamine: From the Greek name kárdamon, referring to an Indian spice
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
CARBIL
Chromosome number
2n = 48
Previous conservation statuses
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: CD, DP
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Data Deficient
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Thorsen MJ, Dickinson KJM, Seddon PJ. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285–309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2009.06.001.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange for NZPCN (1 June 2013).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Cardamine bilobata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/cardamine-bilobata/ (Date website was queried)