Cardamine flexuosa

Forest Cuckoo Flower ( Cardamine flexuosa )

The forest - smock ( Cardamine flexuosa ) is a Central European area as scattered to widespread occurring member of the cabbage family ( Brassicaceae). It predominantly flowers from April to June, and occasionally in autumn.

Appearance

Most annuals, rarely, two perennial herbaceous plant reaches a height of about 10 to 50 cm. It grows erect to ascending and often drives several stems from. At the bottom it is somewhat hairy spreading, usually has 4-10 stem leaves and a lasting until flowering receive rosette. The leaves are pinnate, and usually have 3-6 pair of pinnae. These are clearly stalked usually. The lower ones are usually broadly ovate to rounded and often indistinct and asymmetrically lobed and stumpfzähnig or entire. The upper are altogether more narrow, hairy about 3 to 20 mm long scattered with a slightly larger terminal leaflet and on the top often .. The flowers are about 6 to 25 in grapes. The sepals are 1.3 to 2.5 mm long, elliptical, greenish and white hautrandig. The petals are white, 2.5 to 4 mm long and spatulate. The flowers usually have 6 stamens. The pods are about 14 to 25 mm long, 1 to 1.7 mm wide and sit on 4 to 13 mm long, erect protruding, often slightly curved stems. More often than not, therefore, grow almost parallel to the stem.

Occurrence

Habitat requirements

The forest - foam herb grows in beech mixed forest companies and in spring swamps. It prefers moist, nutrient-rich, nitrogen-containing, low in calcium and often clayey soils.

Popularization

Cardamine flexuosa is found throughout Europe, Asia and North America. There is a Eurasian- subozeanisches Florenelement. In Austria and Switzerland, the species is often found scattered up.

Distribution in Germany

The forest - smock comes in Germany before scattered to fairly widespread. Only in East Germany, it is rare.