Cardamine corymbosa

New Zealand Cardamine ( Cardamine corymbosa )

The New Zealand Cardamine ( Cardamine corymbosa ) is a species of the genus bitter cress ( Cardamine ) in the family (Brassicaceae ). This native of New Zealand species is a neophyte in Central Europe.

Description

Vegetative characteristics

The New Zealand Cardamine is a perennial herbaceous plant. She is in a vegetative appearance is very variable, is quite close to the hairy and the forest - smock. The ascending to prostrate stem has at most two to three true leaves.

The New Zealand Cardamine is easily recognized by the in a basal rosette standing together typically trained, feathery leaves as a smock - type. The pinnate leaves with more than four pairs of leaflets can be bald or hairy, the terminal leaflet larger than the lateral leaflets.

Generative features

The compared to other Cardamine species small, variable inflorescence and later fruit stand is not kreuzblütlertypisch up regularly and grapey, but it appears schirmrispig with just a few flowers. The relatively large flowers have four petals are overlapping and six stamens.

The slender fruit stalk may be very short or up to 5 cm long. The 10 to 22 mm long, slender pods arise sometimes seemingly a point; often only one to four pods are formed.

Occurrence

Cardamine corymbosa is originally from New Zealand. As a neophyte, it is observed in Scotland since 1991. The New Zealand Cardamine was probably introduced with planting material and spread rapidly through nurseries and plant trade in the UK and Ireland. To 1999/2000 this type reached the Netherlands and Belgium. From Germany are so far two observations.