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Cardamine hirsuta

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Brassicales Family: Brassicaceae Genus: Cardamine

hairy bittercress

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Annual or biennial herbs, glabrous to sparsely hirsute with simple hairs.

Stems: Lower stems usually hirsute, sometimes sparsely so.

Roots: Sometimes rhizomatous or stoloniferous.

Leaves: Leaves compound (odd-pinnate). Alternate basal and usually cauline. Blades oddly–pinnately compound with 3–11 leaflets, basal leaves usually with more leaflets than cauline leaves, the leaflets ovate to reniform, rarely lanceolate, blades of lateral leaflets 2–10 mm long, 1.5–15 mm wide, 3–5–lobed, the terminal leaflet usually larger, 5–15(–25) mm long, 6–17 mm wide, usually lobed similar to lateral leaflets. Apex not apiculate. Lower surfaces usually hirsute, sometimes sparsely so; Blades thick. Leaflet margins entire, repand, dentate, or 3 or 5-lobed. Veins obscure. Petiolate. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in 1 to several racemes 10–20 cm long. Flowers bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic or rarely slightly irregular. Calyx of 4 sepals, deciduous, erect, usually oblong, sometimes the inner 2 with gibbous bases that hold the nectar. Corolla of 4 petals, white, 2.5–3 mm long, not exceeding the sepals. Stamens usually 6, usually divaricately ascending. Ovary superior, 2(4?)-carpellate, usually 2-celled by means of a false, but usually complete septum, rarely 1-celled, sessile or rarely stipitate; ovules 1 to numerous, borne on parietal placentas on replum margin at periphery of ovary wall, campylotropous or occasionally anatropous; style 1 or occasionally absent; stigma capitate or rarely decurrent, entire or 2-lobed.

Fruit: Linear silique; erect; slightly compressed parallel to the septum; the valves opening elastically from base; rolling up after dehiscence; the septum margin extending partially over the valvular area; siliques (1–)1.4–2(–2.5) cm long. Seeds in a single series per cell; plump; longer than wide; wingless; 8–14 per cell; reddish brown; broadly oblong; 0.9–1.1 mm long.

Ploidy: 2n = 16; 32; 64

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Synonyms (56)

Arabis heterophylla G.Forst. ex DC. (1821)
Cardamine angulata Regel (1862)
Cardamine angulata var. alba Regel (1862)
Cardamine borbonica Bojer (1837)
Cardamine fagetina Schur (1866)
Cardamine hirsuta f. apetala Soó (1973)
Cardamine hirsuta f. coerulescens Rivas Mateos (1899)
Cardamine hirsuta f. foliosa Sennen (1936)
Cardamine hirsuta f. glabra Schweinf. (1867)
Cardamine hirsuta f. grandiflora O.E.Schulz (1903)
Cardamine hirsuta f. litoralis (Svalund) O.E.Schulz (1903)
Cardamine hirsuta f. multicaulis Sennen (1929)
Cardamine hirsuta f. pilosa (O.E.Schulz) Kuusk (1973)
Cardamine hirsuta f. subnuda Merino (1917)
Cardamine hirsuta f. umbrosa O.E.Schulz (1903)
Cardamine hirsuta f. unicaulis (O.E.Schulz) Jovan.-Dunj. (1972)
Cardamine hirsuta proles borbonica (Bojer) O.E.Schulz (1903)
Cardamine hirsuta proles lasiocarpa O.E.Schulz (1903)
Cardamine hirsuta subsp. multicaulis (Hoppe ex Schur) Čelak. (1875)
Cardamine hirsuta subsp. puberula (Rouy & Foucaud) O.E.Schulz (1903)
Cardamine hirsuta subvar. puberula Rouy & Foucaud (1893)
Cardamine hirsuta var. apetala Soó (1973)
Cardamine hirsuta var. clandestina Fr. (1828)
Cardamine hirsuta var. exigua O.E.Schulz (1903)
Cardamine hirsuta var. foliosa Sennen (1929)
Cardamine hirsuta var. formosana Hayata (1911)
Cardamine hirsuta var. glabra Lej. (1831)
Cardamine hirsuta var. litoralis Svalund (1886)
Cardamine hirsuta var. major Lej. (1825)
Cardamine hirsuta var. maxima Fisch. (1808)
Cardamine hirsuta var. micrantha Gaudin (1829)
Cardamine hirsuta var. montana Macoun (1890)
Cardamine hirsuta var. multicaulis Sennen (1929)
Cardamine hirsuta var. petiolulata O.E.Schulz (1903)
Cardamine hirsuta var. pilosa O.E.Schulz (1903)
Cardamine hirsuta var. prolifera DC. (1821)
Cardamine hirsuta var. pterocarpa Merino (1897)
Cardamine hirsuta var. sabulosa Wimm. & Grab. (1829)
Cardamine hirsuta var. stylosa Hartm. (1832)
Cardamine hirsuta var. sylvatica Hartm. (1820)
Cardamine hirsuta var. tetrandra Stokes (1812)
Cardamine hirsuta var. unicaulis O.E.Schulz (1903)
Cardamine humilis Kit. (1863)
Cardamine micrantha Spenn. (1829)
Cardamine multicaulis Hoppe ex Schur (1866)
Cardamine parviflora Suter (1802)
Cardamine praecox Pall. ex Ledeb. (1841)
Cardamine scutata var. formosana (Hayata) T.S.Liu & S.S.Ying (1976)
Cardamine simensis Hochst. ex Oliv. (1868)
Cardamine tenella E.D.Clarke (1812)
Cardamine tetrandra Hegetschw. (1839)
Cardamine umbrosa Andrz. ex DC. (1821)
Cardamine virginica Michx. (1803)
Crucifera cardamine E.H.L.Krause (1902)
Ghinia hirsuta (L.) Bubani (1901)
Ghinia sylvatica Bubani (1901)

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Potentially naturalizing
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 655 (1753)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:403 (K, H); Faccenda, Arthur, et al. 2025:164 (O)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Cardamine hirsuta Palikea trail, about 1.5 km. north of trailhead. WGS84 coordinates: Lat. 21.414340, Long. -158.099838 Mixed native - invasive forest. Locally abundant in shady, moist understory. It was only found along the trail at one point, but at that point it was rather common with thousands of plants found and were growing rather densely in some parts. Preserved_Specimen Faccenda, K. 3226 Oahu BISH 2023-07-01
2 Cardamine hirsuta Hualalai, near summit, edge of Hainoa Crater, North Kona District Growing in cindery substrate with Styphelia, Vaccinium, and Coprosma ernodeoides. Preserved_Specimen Cuddihy, L.W. 669 Hawaii BISH 1980-12-10
3 Cardamine hirsuta Southwest flank of Mauna Loa, in the ahupuaa of Manuka open Metrosideros on cinder-scrub vegetation consisting of Machaerina, Coprosma, Styphelia and Vaccinium. Preserved_Specimen Higashino, P.K. 6237 Hawaii BISH 1977-07-21
4 Cardamine hirsuta Waimea District. Kokee State Park. Mohihi Rd. along waineke swamp. Herb along road Very weedy area with numerous naturalized plants-Brugmansia, Hedychium, Tropaeolum, etc. Preserved_Specimen Flynn, T.W. 2719 Kauai BISH 1988-01-28
5 Cardamine hirsuta Along inner crater walls of Puu Ahumoa. District of Hamakua Growing with Stellaria and grasses at base of Myoporum, along inner walls of crater. Preserved_Specimen Nagata, K.M. 2441 Hawaii BISH 1982-04-06
6 Cardamine hirsuta Hualalai, Honua-ula, Palani Ranch, North Kona District, Growing with Dryopteris paleacea, and Athyrium sandwichianum in a very disturbed Acacia koa - Metrosideros forest used as a pasture. Preserved_Specimen Cuddihy, L.W. 678 Hawaii BISH 1980-12-10
7 Cardamine hirsuta Kokee weed in vegetable garden Preserved_Specimen Plews, J.H.R. Kauai BISH 1979-03-10
8 Cardamine hirsuta Rare, along inner crater walls of Puu Ahumoa. District of Hamakua Growing with Stellaria and grasses at base of Myoporum. Preserved_Specimen Nagata, K.M. 2441 Hawaii BISH 1982-04-06
9 Cardamine hirsuta Southwest flank of Mauna Loa, in a kipuka, in the ahupuaa of Manuka Vegetation: closed Metrosideros forest on weathered aa, with soil formation, understory consisting of Cibotium, Coprosma, Myoporum, Myrsine and Vaccinium. Preserved_Specimen Higashino, P.K. 6359 Hawaii BISH 1977-08-06
10 Cardamine hirsuta grows in partial shade under building. Kilauea C.C.C. Camp Preserved_Specimen Fagerlund, G.O. 309 Hawaii BISH 1943-02-10
11 Cardamine hirsuta Kilauea Volcano House Preserved_Specimen Student at University of Hawaii 100 Hawaii BISH 1933-07-06
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