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:
- Cardamine abchasica Govaerts
- Cardamine acris Griseb.
- Cardamine adriatica Jar.Kučera, Lihová & Marhold
- Cardamine africana L.
- Cardamine alalata Heenan
- Cardamine altaica Lippmaa
- Cardamine alticola Heenan
- Cardamine altigena Schltr. ex O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine amara L.
- Cardamine × ambigua O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine anemonoides O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine angulata Hook.
- Cardamine angustata O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine anhuiensis D.C.Zhang & C.Z.Shao
- Cardamine apennina Lihová & Marhold
- Cardamine appendiculata Franch. & Sav.
- Cardamine arakiana Koidz.
- Cardamine armoracioides Turcz.
- Cardamine asarifolia L.
- Cardamine astoniae I.Thomps.
- Cardamine auriculata S.Watson
- Cardamine balnearia Standl. & Steyerm.
- Cardamine barbaraeoides Halácsy
- Cardamine basicola Heenan
- Cardamine battagliae Cesca & Peruzzi
- Cardamine bellidifolia L.
- Cardamine bilobata Kirk
- Cardamine bipinnata (C.A.Mey.) O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine bisetosa Heenan
- Cardamine blaisdellii Eastw.
- Cardamine bodinieri (H.Lév.) Lauener
- Cardamine bonariensis Juss. ex Pers.
- Cardamine breweri S.Watson
- Cardamine bulbifera (L.) Crantz
- Cardamine bulbosa (Schreb. ex Muhl.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.
- Cardamine caesiella Heenan
- Cardamine calcicola W.W.Sm.
- Cardamine caldeirarum Guthnick ex Seub.
- Cardamine californica (Nutt.) Greene
- Cardamine calliphaea Kit Tan, Vold & Giannop.
- Cardamine calthifolia H.Lév.
- Cardamine carnosa Waldst. & Kit.
- Cardamine caroides C.Y.Wu
- Cardamine carrii B.L.Turner
- Cardamine castellana Lihová & Marhold
- Cardamine cebollana B.L.Turner
- Cardamine changbaiana Al-Shehbaz
- Cardamine chelidonia L.
- Cardamine chenopodiifolia Pers.
- Cardamine cheotaiyienii Al-Shehbaz & G.Yang
- Cardamine chilensis DC.
- Cardamine chiriensis Miyabe & Tatew.
- Cardamine chlorina Heenan
- Cardamine circaeoides Hook.f. & Thomson
- Cardamine clematitis Shuttlew. ex S.Watson
- Cardamine concatenata (Michx.) O.Schwarz
- Cardamine conferta Jurtzev
- Cardamine constancei Detling
- Cardamine cordata Barnéoud
- Cardamine cordifolia A.Gray
- Cardamine coronata Heenan
- Cardamine corymbosa Hook.f.
- Cardamine crassifolia Pourr.
- Cardamine cubita Molloy, Heenan & Smissen
- Cardamine dactyloides Heenan
- Cardamine debilis DC.
- Cardamine delavayi Franch.
- Cardamine densiflora Gontsch.
- Cardamine depressa Hook.f.
- Cardamine dichondroides (Speg.) Govaerts
- Cardamine × digenea (Gremli) O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine digitata Richardson
- Cardamine dilatata Heenan
- Cardamine dimidia Heenan
- Cardamine diphylla (Michx.) Alph.Wood
- Cardamine dissecta (Leavenw.) Al-Shehbaz
- Cardamine douglassii Britton
- Cardamine dubia Nicotra
- Cardamine elegantula Hook.f. & Thomson
- Cardamine eminentia Heenan
- Cardamine engleriana O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine enneaphyllos (L.) Crantz
- Cardamine × enriquei Marhold, Lihová & Perný
- Cardamine exigua Heenan
- Cardamine fargesiana Al-Shehbaz
- Cardamine fialae Fritsch
- Cardamine × fischeriana O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine flagellifera O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine flexuosa With.
- Cardamine forsteri Govaerts
- Cardamine fragariifolia O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine franchetiana Diels
- Cardamine franklinensis I.Thomps.
- Cardamine × fringsii F.Wirtg.
- Cardamine fulcrata Greene
- Cardamine geraniifolia (Poir.) DC.
- Cardamine glacialis (G.Forst.) DC.
- Cardamine glanduligera O.Schwarz
- Cardamine glara Heenan
- Cardamine glauca Spreng. ex DC.
- Cardamine glechomifolia H.Lév.
- Cardamine gouldii Al-Shehbaz
- Cardamine gracilis (O.E.Schulz) T.Y.Cheo & R.C.Fang
- Cardamine graeca L.
- Cardamine × grafiana O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine grandiscapa Heenan
- Cardamine granulifera (Franch.) Diels
- Cardamine griffithii Hook.f. & Thomson
- Cardamine guatemalensis Al-Shehbaz
- Cardamine gunnii Hewson
- Cardamine heleniae Heenan
- Cardamine × helleriana O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine heptaphylla (Vill.) O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine hirsuta L.
- Cardamine hispidula Phil.
- Cardamine holmgrenii Al-Shehbaz
- Cardamine hongdeyuana Al-Shehbaz
- Cardamine hunanensis Al-Shehbaz, L.Wu & W.J.Liu
- Cardamine hupingshanensis K.M.Liu, L.B.Chen, H.F.Bai & L.H.Liu
- Cardamine hydrocotyloides W.T.Wang
- Cardamine hygrophila T.Y.Cheo & R.C.Fang
- Cardamine impatiens L.
- Cardamine incisa K.Schum.
- Cardamine × insueta Urbanska-Worytkiewicz
- Cardamine integra Heenan
- Cardamine intonsa Heenan
- Cardamine jamesonii Hook.
- Cardamine jejuna Standl. & Steyerm.
- Cardamine jonselliana Al-Shehbaz
- Cardamine karol-marholdii Al-Shehbaz
- Cardamine × keckii A.Kern.
- Cardamine keysseri O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine × killiasii (Brügger) Brügger
- Cardamine kitaibelii Bech.
- Cardamine kokaiensis Yahara, Soejima, Kudoh, Šlenker & Marhold
- Cardamine komarovii Nakai
- Cardamine kruesselii Johow ex Reiche
- Cardamine kuankuoshuiense M.T.An, Yun Lin & Y.B.Yang
- Cardamine lacustris (Garn.-Jones & P.N.Johnson) Heenan
- Cardamine lanceolaris Linden & Planch.
- Cardamine latior Heenan
- Cardamine lazica Boiss. & Balansa
- Cardamine leucantha (Tausch) O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine libagouensis Y.Diao, Y.B.Chen & Z.L.Hu
- Cardamine lihengiana Al-Shehbaz
- Cardamine lilacina Hook.
- Cardamine lineariloba I.Thomps.
- Cardamine lojanensis Al-Shehbaz
- Cardamine longii Fernald
- Cardamine longipedicellata Rollins
- Cardamine loxostemonoides O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine lyrata Bunge
- Cardamine macrocarpa Brandegee
- Cardamine macrophylla Willd.
- Cardamine macrostachya Phil.
- Cardamine magnifica Heenan
- Cardamine manshurica (Kom.) Nakai
- Cardamine marginata Phil.
- Cardamine marholdii Tzvelev
- Cardamine maritima DC.
- Cardamine matthioli Moretti
- Cardamine maxima (Nutt.) Alph.Wood
- Cardamine megalantha Heenan
- Cardamine mexicana O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine micranthera Rollins
- Cardamine microphylla Adams
- Cardamine microthrix I.Thomps.
- Cardamine microzyga O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine moirensis I.Thomps.
- Cardamine monteluccii Brilli-Catt. & Gubellini
- Cardamine montenegrina Jar.Kučera, Lihová & Marhold
- Cardamine multiflora T.Y.Cheo & R.C.Fang
- Cardamine multijuga Franch.
- Cardamine mutabilis Heenan
- Cardamine nepalensis N.Kurosaki & H.Ohba
- Cardamine niigatensis H.Hara
- Cardamine nipponica Franch. & Sav.
- Cardamine nuttallii Greene
- Cardamine obliqua Hochst. ex A.Rich.
- Cardamine occidentalis (S.Watson ex B.L.Rob.) Howell
- Cardamine occulta Hornem.
- Cardamine ocoana O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine oligosperma Nutt.
- Cardamine ovata Benth.
- Cardamine pacensis Romero
- Cardamine pachyphylla Heenan
- Cardamine pachystigma (S.Watson) Rollins
- Cardamine pakistanica Al-Shehbaz & D.A.German
- Cardamine panatohea Heenan & de Lange
- Cardamine papillata I.Thomps.
- Cardamine papuana (Lauterb.) O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine parviflora L.
- Cardamine parvula Heenan
- Cardamine pattersonii L.F.Hend.
- Cardamine paucifolia Hand.-Mazz.
- Cardamine paucijuga Turcz.
- Cardamine × paxiana O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine pectinata Pall. ex DC.
- Cardamine pedata Regel & Tiling
- Cardamine penduliflora O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine pensylvanica Muhl. ex Willd.
- Cardamine pentaphyllos (L.) Crantz
- Cardamine penzesii Ančev & Marhold
- Cardamine picta Hook.
- Cardamine plumieri Vill.
- Cardamine polemonioides (Rouy) T.Durand & B.D.Jacks.
- Cardamine polyodontes Heenan
- Cardamine porphyroneura Heenan
- Cardamine pratensis L.
- Cardamine prorepens Fisch. ex DC.
- Cardamine pseudotrifoliolata Al-Shehbaz
- Cardamine pulchella (Hook.f. & Thomson) Al-Shehbaz & G.Yang
- Cardamine purpurascens (O.E.Schulz) Al-Shehbaz & al.
- Cardamine purpurea Cham. & Schltdl.
- Cardamine quinquefolia (M.Bieb.) Schmalh.
- Cardamine ramosa Rollins
- Cardamine raphanifolia Pourr.
- Cardamine repens (Franch.) Diels
- Cardamine reptans Heenan
- Cardamine resedifolia L.
- Cardamine × rhodopaea Ančev
- Cardamine robusta I.Thomps.
- Cardamine rockii O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine rostrata Griseb.
- Cardamine rotundifolia Michx.
- Cardamine rupestris (O.E.Schulz) K.Malý
- Cardamine rupicola (O.E.Schulz) C.L.Hitchc.
- Cardamine scaposa Franch.
- Cardamine schinziana O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine × schulzii Urbanska-Worytkiewicz
- Cardamine sciaphila Heenan
- Cardamine scutata Thunb.
- Cardamine seidlitziana Albov
- Cardamine seravschanica Botsch.
- Cardamine serbica Pančić
- Cardamine serpentina Heenan
- Cardamine silana Marhold & Perný
- Cardamine simplex Hand.-Mazz.
- Cardamine sinuatifolia Heenan
- Cardamine speciosa Britton
- Cardamine stenoloba Hemsl.
- Cardamine subcarnosa (Hook.f.) Allan
- Cardamine subterranea Larrañaga
- Cardamine tanakae Franch. & Sav.
- Cardamine tangutorum O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine tenera S.G.Gmel. ex C.A.Mey.
- Cardamine tenuifolia Hook.
- Cardamine tenuirostris Hook. & Arn.
- Cardamine tepelenensis F.K.Mey.
- Cardamine thalassica Heenan
- Cardamine thyrsoidea O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine tianqingiae Al-Shehbaz & Boufford
- Cardamine trichocarpa Hochst. ex A.Rich.
- Cardamine trifida (Lam. ex Poir.) B.M.G.Jones
- Cardamine trifolia L.
- Cardamine trifoliolata Hook.f. & Thomson
- Cardamine tryssa I.Thomps.
- Cardamine tuberosa DC.
- Cardamine uliginosa M.Bieb.
- Cardamine umbellata Greene
- Cardamine × undulata De Laramb. & Timb.-Lagr.
- Cardamine unguiculus Heenan
- Cardamine unicaulis Heenan
- Cardamine valida (Takeda) Nakai
- Cardamine variabilis Phil.
- Cardamine verna Heenan
- Cardamine victoris N.Busch
- Cardamine violacea (D.Don) Wall.
- Cardamine volckmannii Phil.
- Cardamine vulgaris Phil.
- Cardamine waldsteinii Dyer
- Cardamine × wettsteiniana O.E.Schulz
- Cardamine xinfenii Al-Shehbaz
- Cardamine yezoensis Maxim.
- Cardamine yunnanensis Franch.
- Cardamine × zahlbruckneriana O.E.Schulz
- 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.
