Cardamine purpurea

Perennials; (often cespitose); hirsute. Rhizomes vertical, 1–3 mm diam., (not fleshy). Stems (simple or few to several from base), usually erect, unbranched, (0.3–)0.5–1.2(–1.5) dm. Basal leaves sometimes rosulate, usually 3 or 5-foliolate, rarely simple, (1.5–)2.5–7 cm, leaflets petiolulate or sessile; petiole (1.2–)2–5 cm; lateral lobes or leaflets sessile, blade similar to terminal, distinctly smaller; terminal lobe or leaflet petiolulate (0.05–0.6 cm), blade reniform or suborbicular to broadly ovate, 0.3–1 cm × 4–15 mm, base subcordate to rounded, margins entire, repand, or obscurely 2-toothed. Cauline leaves 1–3, usually compound, rarely simple, petiolate, leaflets petiolulate or sessile; petiole (0.2–)0.5–2 cm, base not auriculate; similar to basal, smaller. Racemes ebracteate. Fruiting pedicels suberect, ascending, or divaricate, 5–12 mm, pubescent. Flowers: sepals oblong, 2–3(–4) × 1.4–1.7 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally; petals usually purple to pink, rarely white, obovate, 5–7(–9) × 3–4(–5) mm, (clawed, apex rounded); filaments: median pairs 2.5–3.5 mm, lateral pair 1.5–3.5 mm; anthers oblong, 0.6–0.9 mm. Fruits linear, 1.5–2.5 cm × 1.5–1.8 mm; ovules 10–14 per ovary; style 1–2.5 mm. Seeds brown, oblong to broadly ovoid, 1.7–2.1 × 1.4–1.7 mm. 2n = 96.

Phenology: Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat: Moist tundra, damp woods and ravines, alpine turf, river flats, peaty subarctic meadows, streamsides, moist slopes
Elevation: 600-1800 m

Yukon, Alaska, e Asia (Russian Far East).

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa