Cardamine. ■ CRUCIFERiE. 57 



2. Cardamine pratensis, Linn. Common Bitter Cress. Cuckoo-Jlower. 



Stem erect or decumbent ; leaves pinnately 7 - 13-foliolate ; leaflets mostly entire, often 

 petiolulate, those of the radical leaves roundish, of the cauline ones oblong or linear ; style 

 short and thick ; stigma capitate. — Pursh,fl. 2.p. 440 ; DC.p>-odr. I. p. 151 ; Hook.Ji. Bor.- 

 Am. l.p.ib; Torr. ^ Gr.fl. N. Am. l.;>. 84. 



Root perennial, fibrous. Plant smooth. Stem 12-18 inches high, simple. Radical and 

 lower cauline leaves petiolate ; leaflets 6-8 lines long, sparingly toothed or entire ; those of 

 the uppermost ones often scarcely a line broad. Flowers rather more than half an inch in 

 diameter, white or pale rose-color. Siliques erect, above an inch long. 



Swamps in the western part of the State, particularly in Oneida county. Fl. Latter part 

 of April to the beginning of June. — This appears to be identical with the European plant, 

 and is undoubtedly indigenous. 



3. Cardamine hirsuta, Linn. Water Cress. 



Leaves pinnate, or lyrately pinnatifid ; leaflets of the, radical leaves roundish, petiolulate, 

 of the cauline ones oblong or linear, sparingly toothed or entire ; petals (small), oblong-cunei- 

 form, about twice the length of the calyx ; style short or none ; stigma minute ; racemes nearly 

 erect or somewhat patulous. — DC. prodr. \. p. 152 ; Hook.Ji. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 45 ; Darlingt. 

 ft. Cest. p. 385 ; Torr. ^ Gr.fl. N. Am. 1. p. 85. C. Pennsylvanica, Muhl. cat. p. 63 ; 

 Willd. sp. 3. p. 486 ; DC. I. c. ; Ell. sk. 2. p. 144 ; Bigel.fl. Bost. p. 253. 



var. Virginica : leaflets with a single tooth on one or both sides ; racemes strictly erect. — 

 Torr. 4- Gr. I. c. C. Virginica, Michx. fl. 2. p. 28, not of Linn. ; DC. I. c. 



Root biennial, fibrous. Stem 4-18 inches high, smooth, or rarely with a sparse and 

 short pubescence. Leaves with 2-6 pairs of leaflets. Flowers scarcely more than 2 lines 

 long (in the var. much smaller), white, or sometimes with a tinge of purple. Siliques about an 

 inch long, nearly 3 times the length of their pedicels ; in the common form of the plant, espe- 

 cially when growing in shady situations, somewhat patulous. Seeds oblong, not margined. 



Wet places, particularly about springs, and in small streams of water ; the var. on rocks, 

 often in dry situations. Fl. May - June. Fr. July. A common plant, very variable in size 

 and in the form of its leaves. It is now generally considered as identical with the C. hirsuta 

 of Europe, which is also extremely variable, but I have never seen ours so hairy as some of 

 my European specimens. 



[Flora.] 



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