Bittercress (Cardamine)
Description
Cardamine (bittercress or bitter-cress) is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae. It contains more than 150 species of annuals and perennials. The genus grows worldwide in diverse habitats, except the Antarctic. Genus Dentaria is a synonym for Cardamine. The leaves can have different forms, going from minute to medium-sized. They can be simple, pinnate or bipinnate. They are basal and cauline (growing on the upper part of the stem), with narrow tips. They are rosulate (forming a rosette). The blade margins can be entire, serrate or dentate. The stem internodes lack firmness.The nearly radially symmetrical flowers grow in a racemose many-flowered inflorescence or in corymbs. The white, pink or purple flowers are minute to medium-sized. The petals are longer than the sepals. The fertile flowers are hermaphroditic.Some plants were reputed to have medicinal qualities (treatment of heart or stomach ailments).The name "cardamine" is derived from the Greek kardamon, cardamom - an unrelated plant in the ginger family, used as a pungent spice in cooking.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Brassicales
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Family: Brassicaceae
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Genus: Cardamine
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