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  4. Cardamine pratensis

Cardamine pratensis

Cardamine pratensis.<br>Photographer: Trevor James, Date taken: 12/10/2007, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Hauraki swamp, December.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Hauraki swamp, December.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Cardamine pratensis.<br>Photographer: Trevor James, Date taken: 19/10/2009, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Cardamine pratensis.<br>Photographer: Trevor James, Date taken: 12/10/2007, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Cardamine pratensis.<br>Photographer: Trevor James, Date taken: 28/11/2007, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Freshwater swamp by Whenuakura Estuary, S Taranaki.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 01/12/2013, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Photographer: Peter B. Heenan, Date taken: 27/09/2013, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
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Common name

cuckoo cress, lady’s smock

Family

Brassicaceae

Authority

Cardamine pratensis L.

Flora category

Vascular – Exotic

Structural class

Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites

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.

CARPRA

Conservation status

Not applicable

Brief description

Upright perennial herb up to 60 cm tall, with divided, watercress-like leaves and groups of pink flowers, c. 1 cm across.

Distribution

Local in North Island, also collected in two South Island localities in Westland and Southland.

Habitat

Wet grass- or sedgeland.

Wetland plant indicator status rating

Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]

OBL: Obligate Wetland

Almost always is a hydrophyte, rarely in uplands (non-wetlands).

Features

Perennial herb. Rhizomes present. Stems erect, straight, glabrous, purplish or green, (15)-30-60-(80) cm tall. Lvs thin, green, glabrous, or rarely cauline lvs ciliate. Basal lvs many, pinnate, petiolate; terminal leaflet broadly elliptic, entire, lobed or toothed, shallowly cordate, larger than laterals; lateral leaflets in (3)-4-5-(6) pairs, broadly ovate, lobed or entire, shallowly cordate at base; petiolules < leaflets. Cauline lvs pinnate, shortly petiolate; terminal leaflet larger than laterals, entire, becoming narrow-elliptic to linear, cuneate at base; lateral leaflets in (3)-4-5-(6) pairs, entire, narrow-obovate to linear, cuneate at base, subsessile. Infl. racemose, straight, glabrous, 15-35 cm long. Pedicels glabrous, erecto-patent, 10-20-(30) mm long at fruiting. Sepals glabrous, green or pinkish, with scarious margins, 2.5-4 × 1-1.5-(2) mm. Petals pink (sometimes white), spreading, clawed, 8-11 × 4-6 mm. Stamens 6. Silique pale yellowish green or with purple valves, erect, (10)-15-18-(25) × 1-1.5 mm; valves glabrous; style 1-2 mm long. Seeds reddish brown, elliptic-oblong, not winged, c. 1.5 mm long.

Similar taxa

Unlike any other cresses this species has large pink (rarely white) flowers.

Flowering

Late spring to autumn

Flower colours

Red/Pink, White

Fruiting

Autumn

Life cycle

Seed dispersed by contaminated machinery or footwear.

Year naturalised

1940

Origin

Europe, North America, northern Asia

Reason for introduction

Unknown, possibly an ornamental plant

Control techniques

Not controlled in New Zealand.

Etymology

cardamine: From the Greek name kárdamon, referring to an Indian spice

Attribution

Factsheet prepared by Paul Champion and Deborah Hofstra (NIWA). Prepared by Paul Champion and Deborah Hofstra (NIWA). Features description from Webb et al., (1998).

References and further reading

Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G.; Warburg, E.F. (1962). Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, Second Edition. 1269pp.

Johnson PN, Brooke PA (1989). Wetland plants in New Zealand. DSIR Field Guide, DSIR Publishing, Wellington. 319pp.

Popay et al (2010). An illustrated guide to common weeds of New Zealand, third edition. NZ Plant Protection Society Inc, 416pp.

Webb, C.J.; Sykes, W.R.; Garnock-Jones, P.J. (1988). Flora of New Zealand Volume 4: Naturalised pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch.

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