277 Species in Genus Cardamine

Cardamine: A Personal Exploration of a Diverse Genus

My name is Ferb Vu, and I’ve always been fascinated by the intricate world of plants. The sheer diversity of forms, colors, and adaptations never ceases to amaze me. Recently, my attention was captured by the genus Cardamine, a fascinating group of plants commonly known as bittercresses and toothworts. These unassuming plants, often overlooked in favor of their showier relatives, possess a quiet beauty and remarkable adaptability that has led them to colonize diverse habitats across the globe.

This article is my personal exploration of Cardamine, a journey into the heart of a genus that exemplifies the resilience and beauty of the natural world. I’ll delve into the characteristics that define this genus, highlight some of its most intriguing species, and share my own observations and reflections on these remarkable plants.

Defining Characteristics of Cardamine

Cardamine belongs to the Brassicaceae family, a group known for its distinctive four-petaled flowers and often pungent flavor. Mustard, cabbage, and broccoli are all members of this family, highlighting the incredible diversity within this group.  

What sets Cardamine apart? While they share the characteristic four-petaled flower structure with their relatives, they often display these blooms in delicate shades of white, pink, or purple. The leaves can vary considerably, from simple and rounded to deeply lobed or pinnate, showcasing the adaptability of this genus.

One of the most fascinating features of many Cardamine species is their ability to reproduce via tiny bulbils that form on the leaves or stems. These bulbils, when detached, can grow into new plants, allowing for efficient vegetative propagation. This unique adaptation contributes to the success of Cardamine in a variety of environments.  

A Diverse Genus: Exploring Cardamine Species

The genus Cardamine boasts a remarkable diversity, with over 200 species found across the globe, excluding Antarctica. These species have adapted to a wide range of habitats, from damp woodlands and stream banks to alpine meadows and rocky outcrops. This incredible adaptability is a testament to the evolutionary success of this genus.  

Here are species within Cardamine:

  1. Cardamine abchasica Govaerts
  2. Cardamine acris Griseb.
  3. Cardamine adriatica Jar.Kučera, Lihová & Marhold
  4. Cardamine africana L.
  5. Cardamine alalata Heenan
  6. Cardamine altaica Lippmaa
  7. Cardamine alticola Heenan
  8. Cardamine altigena Schltr. ex O.E.Schulz
  9. Cardamine amara L.
  10. Cardamine × ambigua O.E.Schulz
  11. Cardamine anemonoides O.E.Schulz
  12. Cardamine angulata Hook.
  13. Cardamine angustata O.E.Schulz
  14. Cardamine anhuiensis D.C.Zhang & C.Z.Shao
  15. Cardamine apennina Lihová & Marhold
  16. Cardamine appendiculata Franch. & Sav.
  17. Cardamine arakiana Koidz.
  18. Cardamine armoracioides Turcz.
  19. Cardamine asarifolia L.
  20. Cardamine astoniae I.Thomps.
  21. Cardamine auriculata S.Watson
  22. Cardamine balnearia Standl. & Steyerm.
  23. Cardamine barbaraeoides Halácsy
  24. Cardamine basicola Heenan
  25. Cardamine battagliae Cesca & Peruzzi
  26. Cardamine bellidifolia L.
  27. Cardamine bilobata Kirk
  28. Cardamine bipinnata (C.A.Mey.) O.E.Schulz
  29. Cardamine bisetosa Heenan
  30. Cardamine blaisdellii Eastw.
  31. Cardamine bodinieri (H.Lév.) Lauener
  32. Cardamine bonariensis Juss. ex Pers.
  33. Cardamine breweri S.Watson
  34. Cardamine bulbifera (L.) Crantz
  35. Cardamine bulbosa (Schreb. ex Muhl.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.
  36. Cardamine caesiella Heenan
  37. Cardamine calcicola W.W.Sm.
  38. Cardamine caldeirarum Guthnick ex Seub.
  39. Cardamine californica (Nutt.) Greene
  40. Cardamine calliphaea Kit Tan, Vold & Giannop.
  41. Cardamine calthifolia H.Lév.
  42. Cardamine carnosa Waldst. & Kit.
  43. Cardamine caroides C.Y.Wu
  44. Cardamine carrii B.L.Turner
  45. Cardamine castellana Lihová & Marhold
  46. Cardamine cebollana B.L.Turner
  47. Cardamine changbaiana Al-Shehbaz
  48. Cardamine chelidonia L.
  49. Cardamine chenopodiifolia Pers.
  50. Cardamine cheotaiyienii Al-Shehbaz & G.Yang
  51. Cardamine chilensis DC.
  52. Cardamine chiriensis Miyabe & Tatew.
  53. Cardamine chlorina Heenan
  54. Cardamine circaeoides Hook.f. & Thomson
  55. Cardamine clematitis Shuttlew. ex S.Watson
  56. Cardamine concatenata (Michx.) O.Schwarz
  57. Cardamine conferta Jurtzev
  58. Cardamine constancei Detling
  59. Cardamine cordata Barnéoud
  60. Cardamine cordifolia A.Gray
  61. Cardamine coronata Heenan
  62. Cardamine corymbosa Hook.f.
  63. Cardamine crassifolia Pourr.
  64. Cardamine cubita Molloy, Heenan & Smissen
  65. Cardamine dactyloides Heenan
  66. Cardamine debilis DC.
  67. Cardamine delavayi Franch.
  68. Cardamine densiflora Gontsch.
  69. Cardamine depressa Hook.f.
  70. Cardamine dichondroides (Speg.) Govaerts
  71. Cardamine × digenea (Gremli) O.E.Schulz
  72. Cardamine digitata Richardson
  73. Cardamine dilatata Heenan
  74. Cardamine dimidia Heenan
  75. Cardamine diphylla (Michx.) Alph.Wood
  76. Cardamine dissecta (Leavenw.) Al-Shehbaz
  77. Cardamine douglassii Britton
  78. Cardamine dubia Nicotra
  79. Cardamine elegantula Hook.f. & Thomson
  80. Cardamine eminentia Heenan
  81. Cardamine engleriana O.E.Schulz
  82. Cardamine enneaphyllos (L.) Crantz
  83. Cardamine × enriquei Marhold, Lihová & Perný
  84. Cardamine exigua Heenan
  85. Cardamine fargesiana Al-Shehbaz
  86. Cardamine fialae Fritsch
  87. Cardamine × fischeriana O.E.Schulz
  88. Cardamine flagellifera O.E.Schulz
  89. Cardamine flexuosa With. Plant FAQs: Cardamine Flexuosa – Wavy-leafed Bittercress
  90. Cardamine forsteri Govaerts
  91. Cardamine fragariifolia O.E.Schulz
  92. Cardamine franchetiana Diels
  93. Cardamine franklinensis I.Thomps.
  94. Cardamine × fringsii F.Wirtg.
  95. Cardamine fulcrata Greene
  96. Cardamine geraniifolia (Poir.) DC.
  97. Cardamine glacialis (G.Forst.) DC.
  98. Cardamine glanduligera O.Schwarz
  99. Cardamine glara Heenan
  100. Cardamine glauca Spreng. ex DC.
  101. Cardamine glechomifolia H.Lév.
  102. Cardamine gouldii Al-Shehbaz
  103. Cardamine gracilis (O.E.Schulz) T.Y.Cheo & R.C.Fang
  104. Cardamine graeca L.
  105. Cardamine × grafiana O.E.Schulz
  106. Cardamine grandiscapa Heenan
  107. Cardamine granulifera (Franch.) Diels
  108. Cardamine griffithii Hook.f. & Thomson
  109. Cardamine guatemalensis Al-Shehbaz
  110. Cardamine gunnii Hewson
  111. Cardamine heleniae Heenan
  112. Cardamine × helleriana O.E.Schulz
  113. Cardamine heptaphylla (Vill.) O.E.Schulz
  114. Cardamine hirsuta L. Plant FAQs: Cardamine Hirsuta – Hairy Bittercress
  115. Cardamine hispidula Phil.
  116. Cardamine holmgrenii Al-Shehbaz
  117. Cardamine hongdeyuana Al-Shehbaz
  118. Cardamine hunanensis Al-Shehbaz, L.Wu & W.J.Liu
  119. Cardamine hupingshanensis K.M.Liu, L.B.Chen, H.F.Bai & L.H.Liu
  120. Cardamine hydrocotyloides W.T.Wang
  121. Cardamine hygrophila T.Y.Cheo & R.C.Fang
  122. Cardamine impatiens L. Plant FAQs: Cardamine Impatiens – Western Bittercress
  123. Cardamine incisa K.Schum.
  124. Cardamine × insueta Urbanska-Worytkiewicz
  125. Cardamine integra Heenan
  126. Cardamine intonsa Heenan
  127. Cardamine jamesonii Hook.
  128. Cardamine jejuna Standl. & Steyerm.
  129. Cardamine jonselliana Al-Shehbaz
  130. Cardamine karol-marholdii Al-Shehbaz
  131. Cardamine × keckii A.Kern.
  132. Cardamine keysseri O.E.Schulz
  133. Cardamine × killiasii (Brügger) Brügger
  134. Cardamine kitaibelii Bech.
  135. Cardamine kokaiensis Yahara, Soejima, Kudoh, Šlenker & Marhold
  136. Cardamine komarovii Nakai
  137. Cardamine kruesselii Johow ex Reiche
  138. Cardamine kuankuoshuiense M.T.An, Yun Lin & Y.B.Yang
  139. Cardamine lacustris (Garn.-Jones & P.N.Johnson) Heenan
  140. Cardamine lanceolaris Linden & Planch.
  141. Cardamine latior Heenan
  142. Cardamine lazica Boiss. & Balansa
  143. Cardamine leucantha (Tausch) O.E.Schulz
  144. Cardamine libagouensis Y.Diao, Y.B.Chen & Z.L.Hu
  145. Cardamine lihengiana Al-Shehbaz
  146. Cardamine lilacina Hook.
  147. Cardamine lineariloba I.Thomps.
  148. Cardamine lojanensis Al-Shehbaz
  149. Cardamine longii Fernald
  150. Cardamine longipedicellata Rollins
  151. Cardamine loxostemonoides O.E.Schulz
  152. Cardamine lyrata Bunge
  153. Cardamine macrocarpa Brandegee
  154. Cardamine macrophylla Willd.
  155. Cardamine macrostachya Phil.
  156. Cardamine magnifica Heenan
  157. Cardamine manshurica (Kom.) Nakai
  158. Cardamine marginata Phil.
  159. Cardamine marholdii Tzvelev
  160. Cardamine maritima DC.
  161. Cardamine matthioli Moretti
  162. Cardamine maxima (Nutt.) Alph.Wood
  163. Cardamine megalantha Heenan
  164. Cardamine mexicana O.E.Schulz
  165. Cardamine micranthera Rollins
  166. Cardamine microphylla Adams
  167. Cardamine microthrix I.Thomps.
  168. Cardamine microzyga O.E.Schulz
  169. Cardamine moirensis I.Thomps.
  170. Cardamine monteluccii Brilli-Catt. & Gubellini
  171. Cardamine montenegrina Jar.Kučera, Lihová & Marhold
  172. Cardamine multiflora T.Y.Cheo & R.C.Fang
  173. Cardamine multijuga Franch.
  174. Cardamine mutabilis Heenan
  175. Cardamine nepalensis N.Kurosaki & H.Ohba
  176. Cardamine niigatensis H.Hara
  177. Cardamine nipponica Franch. & Sav.
  178. Cardamine nuttallii Greene
  179. Cardamine obliqua Hochst. ex A.Rich.
  180. Cardamine occidentalis (S.Watson ex B.L.Rob.) Howell
  181. Cardamine occulta Hornem.
  182. Cardamine ocoana O.E.Schulz
  183. Cardamine oligosperma Nutt.
  184. Cardamine ovata Benth.
  185. Cardamine pacensis Romero
  186. Cardamine pachyphylla Heenan
  187. Cardamine pachystigma (S.Watson) Rollins
  188. Cardamine pakistanica Al-Shehbaz & D.A.German
  189. Cardamine panatohea Heenan & de Lange
  190. Cardamine papillata I.Thomps.
  191. Cardamine papuana (Lauterb.) O.E.Schulz
  192. Cardamine parviflora L.
  193. Cardamine parvula Heenan
  194. Cardamine pattersonii L.F.Hend.
  195. Cardamine paucifolia Hand.-Mazz.
  196. Cardamine paucijuga Turcz.
  197. Cardamine × paxiana O.E.Schulz
  198. Cardamine pectinata Pall. ex DC.
  199. Cardamine pedata Regel & Tiling
  200. Cardamine penduliflora O.E.Schulz
  201. Cardamine pensylvanica Muhl. ex Willd. Plant FAQs: Pennsylvania Bittercress – Cardamine Pensylvanica
  202. Cardamine pentaphyllos (L.) Crantz
  203. Cardamine penzesii Ančev & Marhold
  204. Cardamine picta Hook.
  205. Cardamine plumieri Vill.
  206. Cardamine polemonioides (Rouy) T.Durand & B.D.Jacks.
  207. Cardamine polyodontes Heenan
  208. Cardamine porphyroneura Heenan
  209. Cardamine pratensis L.
  210. Cardamine prorepens Fisch. ex DC.
  211. Cardamine pseudotrifoliolata Al-Shehbaz
  212. Cardamine pulchella (Hook.f. & Thomson) Al-Shehbaz & G.Yang
  213. Cardamine purpurascens (O.E.Schulz) Al-Shehbaz & al.
  214. Cardamine purpurea Cham. & Schltdl.
  215. Cardamine quinquefolia (M.Bieb.) Schmalh.
  216. Cardamine ramosa Rollins
  217. Cardamine raphanifolia Pourr.
  218. Cardamine repens (Franch.) Diels
  219. Cardamine reptans Heenan
  220. Cardamine resedifolia L.
  221. Cardamine × rhodopaea Ančev
  222. Cardamine robusta I.Thomps.
  223. Cardamine rockii O.E.Schulz
  224. Cardamine rostrata Griseb.
  225. Cardamine rotundifolia Michx.
  226. Cardamine rupestris (O.E.Schulz) K.Malý
  227. Cardamine rupicola (O.E.Schulz) C.L.Hitchc.
  228. Cardamine scaposa Franch.
  229. Cardamine schinziana O.E.Schulz
  230. Cardamine × schulzii Urbanska-Worytkiewicz
  231. Cardamine sciaphila Heenan
  232. Cardamine scutata Thunb.
  233. Cardamine seidlitziana Albov
  234. Cardamine seravschanica Botsch.
  235. Cardamine serbica Pančić
  236. Cardamine serpentina Heenan
  237. Cardamine silana Marhold & Perný
  238. Cardamine simplex Hand.-Mazz.
  239. Cardamine sinuatifolia Heenan
  240. Cardamine speciosa Britton
  241. Cardamine stenoloba Hemsl.
  242. Cardamine subcarnosa (Hook.f.) Allan
  243. Cardamine subterranea Larrañaga
  244. Cardamine tanakae Franch. & Sav.
  245. Cardamine tangutorum O.E.Schulz
  246. Cardamine tenera S.G.Gmel. ex C.A.Mey.
  247. Cardamine tenuifolia Hook.
  248. Cardamine tenuirostris Hook. & Arn.
  249. Cardamine tepelenensis F.K.Mey.
  250. Cardamine thalassica Heenan
  251. Cardamine thyrsoidea O.E.Schulz
  252. Cardamine tianqingiae Al-Shehbaz & Boufford
  253. Cardamine trichocarpa Hochst. ex A.Rich.
  254. Cardamine trifida (Lam. ex Poir.) B.M.G.Jones
  255. Cardamine trifolia L.
  256. Cardamine trifoliolata Hook.f. & Thomson
  257. Cardamine tryssa I.Thomps.
  258. Cardamine tuberosa DC.
  259. Cardamine uliginosa M.Bieb.
  260. Cardamine umbellata Greene
  261. Cardamine × undulata De Laramb. & Timb.-Lagr.
  262. Cardamine unguiculus Heenan
  263. Cardamine unicaulis Heenan
  264. Cardamine valida (Takeda) Nakai
  265. Cardamine variabilis Phil.
  266. Cardamine verna Heenan
  267. Cardamine victoris N.Busch
  268. Cardamine violacea (D.Don) Wall.
  269. Cardamine volckmannii Phil.
  270. Cardamine vulgaris Phil.
  271. Cardamine waldsteinii Dyer
  272. Cardamine × wettsteiniana O.E.Schulz
  273. Cardamine xinfenii Al-Shehbaz
  274. Cardamine yezoensis Maxim.
  275. Cardamine yunnanensis Franch.
  276. Cardamine × zahlbruckneriana O.E.Schulz
  277. Cardamine zollingeri Turcz.

Reflections on Cardamine

My exploration of Cardamine has deepened my appreciation for the often-overlooked beauty and resilience of the natural world. These plants, while not as showy as some of their relatives, possess a quiet charm and remarkable adaptability that has allowed them to flourish in diverse habitats across the globe.

The ability of Cardamine to reproduce both sexually and vegetatively is a testament to its evolutionary success. The tiny bulbils produced by many species are a marvel of efficient propagation, allowing these plants to spread and colonize new areas with ease.

As I continue to observe and learn about Cardamine, I am struck by the intricate connections between these plants and their environment. They provide food and habitat for a variety of insects and other organisms, playing a vital role in the delicate balance of their ecosystems.

In a world that often prioritizes the flashy and the dramatic, Cardamine serves as a reminder that true beauty can be found in the subtle and the understated. These plants, with their delicate flowers and remarkable adaptations, offer a glimpse into the intricate workings of the natural world and the quiet resilience of life.

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