''Cardamine oligosperma'' is a species of ''

Cardamine ''Cardamine'' is a large genus of flowering plants in the mustard family, Brassicaceae, known as bittercresses and toothworts. It contains more than 200 species of annuals and perennials. Species in this genus can be found in diverse habitats w ...

'' known by the common name little western bittercress, native to western North America.

Description

''C. oligosperma'' is an annual or biennial herb growing from a

taproot A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproot ...

. It produces one or more upright, branching stems . The leaves are divided into many leaflets. The plant generally has a large basal

rosette Rosette is the French diminutive of ''rose''. It may refer to: Flower shaped designs * Rosette (award), a mark awarded by an organisation * Rosette (design), a small flower design *hence, various flower-shaped or rotational symmetric forms: ** R ...

and smaller leaves further up the stem, each with 5–9 nearly round leaflets. Most prominently blooming in early spring and early autumn, the

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

is several centimeters long and bears many flowers with white petals just a few millimeters in length. The fruit is a

silique A silique or siliqua (plural ''siliques'' or ''siliquae'') is a type of fruit (seed capsule) having two fused carpels with the length being more than three times the width. When the length is less than three times the width of the dried fruit ...

(pod) up to long, containing 15–22 seeds.

Taxonomy

''Oligosperma'' is Greek for 'few seeds'. Common names include ''snapweed'' and ''shotweed'' for the plant's tendency to throw seeds when touched.

Distribution and habitat

It is native to western North America from

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

, where it grows in moist mountain habitats.

Toxicity

The plant often throws its seeds when touched, which can cause irritation if they contact the eyes. Younger, more succulent plants are less likely to be carrying seeds.

Uses

The leaves are edible raw and other tender parts of the plant can be cooked, though have also been eaten raw.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment - ''Cardamine oligosperma''USDA Plants Profile; Cardamine oligosperma''Cardamine oligosperma'' - Photo gallery
oligosperma Edible plants Flora of the Western United States Flora of Western Canada Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Flora of California Flora of Alaska Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Brassicales-stub