Cardamine impatiens

Spring Cress ( Cardamine impatiens )

The Spring Cress ( Cardamine impatiens ) is a species within the family of cruciferous plants ( Brassicaceae). It is distributed in Eurasia.

Description

The Spring Cress grows as an annual or biennial herbaceous plant, reaching heights of growth of about 10 to 50, sometimes to 85 cm. The erect stems is mainly in the upper part, rarely branched out to the base and bare.

The stem leaves have at their base two pointed ears with which they cover the stems. The more or less stalked leaflets are at a length of 0.5 to 2.5 cm ovate to lanceolate and asymmetric three-to siebenlappig or pieces. They have a slightly larger Endfiederchen and ciliated on the edge, otherwise bare.

The flowering time is mainly from May to July. The fairly dense racemose inflorescences contain many flowers. The flower stalks are 2-8 mm long. The hermaphrodite flowers have a double perianth. The four sepals are lanceolate to linear, greenish and whitish towards the tip hautrandig at a length of 1.5 to 2 mm. The four petals are white, narrow wedge-shaped and up to 3 mm long. Often, however, they are entirely absent.

The upright to almost horizontal pods reach a length of 15 to 30 mm and a width of 0.8 to 1.2 mm.

Ecology and naming

The Spring Cress is annual ( winter or even sommerannuell ) or a biennial plant that grows as a semi- rosette plant.

The top flowers are inconspicuous. There is insect pollination, but probably self-pollination is possible.

Similar to the Balsam ( Impatiens spp.) The ripe pods burst on contact, causing the small seeds are hurled through the air. The fruits are pods with self- propagation as juice pressure spreader that is, the seeds jump spontaneously or after touching the peppers about 2, rarely up to 5 meters. In addition Klebausbreitung carried out by the sticky when fresh seeds; even people propagation occurs; accordingly we find the Spring Cress primarily as cultural guides to trails.

Vegetative reproduction occurs as Blattembryonie, as in the Meadow Cress ( Cardamine pratensis).

Occurrence

Cardamine impatiens is found throughout Europe and Asia. There is a Eurasian Florenelement. The Spring Cress comes in central Europe dissipated.

In Austria it is distributed, while it is only found in places in Switzerland. The Spring Cress comes in Germany in the central and southwestern region scattered to widespread ago. In the north and east, however, it is rare or absent.

The Spring foam herb grows in mixed deciduous forest companies. It prefers moist usually transpired, nutrient-rich, lime-free soils.