Cardamine forsteri
Common name
bittercress
Synonyms
Was once included under the name of C debilis as Cardamine “Narrow Petal”.
Family
Brassicaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened
Brief description
An erect perennial herb arising from single rosette or several rosettes with short lateral branches. Leaves deeply lobed; moderately hairy to hairless. hairs, if present, retrorse; Inflorescence a simple raceme or branched, each raceme being 3–6-flowered. Petals narrow (cf. many other Cardamine species), 3.0–4.5 × 0.7–1.4 mm, white. Siliques (‘seed pods’) hairless to moderately hairy; hairs retrorse.
Distribution
Widespread in New Zealand
Similar taxa
Many Cardamine species are superficially similar. Heenan (2017) notes “The presence of axillary leaflet hydathodes is an important character of C. forsteri. However, their presence can vary as they are caducous and so careful searching of the leaf axils is often needed to locate persistent hydathodes, especially on older leaves.” C. forsteri also resembles the exotic C. hirsuta and can grow with it in disturbed sites. C. hirsuta flowers usually have 4 stamens rather than 6.
Flower colours
White
Etymology
cardamine: From the Greek name kárdamon, referring to an Indian spice
References and further reading
Heenan PB. 2017. A taxonomic revision of Cardamine L. (Brassicaceae) in New Zealand. Phytotaxa 330(1): 1–154. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.330.1.