Cardamine pratensis, L.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1964, Flora Europaea - Volume 1. Lycopodiaceae to Platanaceae, Cambridge University Press : 287-288

20. C. pratensis L. , Sp. Pl. 656 (1753).

Perennial (15—)30— 55 cm; stem erect, usually simple, glabrous. Rosette-leaves with

1-7 pairs of ovate to orbicular or reniform sessile or shortly stalked lateral leaflets and a larger terminal leaflet; cauline leaves 2—3(—5) shortly petiolate or sessile, with more numerous lanceolate to linear leaflets; leaves sparsely hairy, often bearing adventitious shoots. Sepals 3-4 mm; petals (6—)8—13(—18) mm, emarginate, white, tinged with violet or pink. Siliqua 25-40x 1-1- 1-5 mm. In = 28-34, 38-44, 48. Widespread in Europe. Al Au Be Br Co Cz D a?Fa?Fe G a Ge G r Hb He Ho Hs Hu It Ju Lu N o Po Rs (N, B, C, W, E) Su Tu.

Diploid plants (2n = 16) occur in the French Jura and Alps. They are small (15-30 cm), with rosette leaves with only 1 or 2 pairs of leaflets, cauline leaves with a few pairs of leaflets and a few-flowered inflorescence ( C. nemorosa Lej. , FI. Spa 2: 62 (1813)). Tetraploids with similar morphology but rather larger in all their parts, and with 1-3 pairs of leaflets on the rosette leaves occur in N. & E. France (? and Belgium, Corse) (C. latifolia sensu Lej. , non Vahl). An undescribed diploid with crowded tuberous roots at the base of the stem, and bulbils in the leafaxils of the lower cauline leaves occurs in maritime areas of C. & N. Portugal, N. Spain and S.W. France.

C. granulosa All. , Auct. FI. Pedem. 16 (1789), described from N.W. Italy (Piemonte) and now possibly extinct, is like 20 but has the ends of some of the roots swollen, tuberous; basal leaves simple, hederiform to reniform; cauline leaves pinnate, with only 1-2 pairs of ovate leaflets; and petals obovate with rounded apex.