hairy bittercress
Family
BrassicaceaeScientific Name
Cardamine hirsuta
Habit
This winter annual flowers from late winter into spring. Sometimes, it can also be a summer annual.
Leaves
Pinnate leaves are in basal rosettes and are formed from 2 to 4 pairs of leaflets arranged alternately along the central leaf stem. The leaf segments are round to wedge shaped, with hairy lower petioles near the base. Upper surface of leaves are also hairy. Has a large terminal leaf.
Identifying Characteristics
The plant grows erect, reaching 12 inches in height with a taproot. Cotyledons are round, hairy, and occur on petioles. It can be often confused with Calepina, but calepina does not have the rounded leaflets.
Flower Seed Head
White flowers occur in dense clusters at the end of flowering stems. Individual flowers are 2 to 3 mm long, and have 4 petals.
Seed Fruit
Seeds form in a flattened capsule 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches in length. When disturbed, the capsules can expel the seeds, which can travel up to 10 feet away.
Where Found
Roadsides, turf, gardens, disturbed areas, and fields throughout the state.
Growth Habit
upright and nonwoody
Thorns or Spines
not present
Approximate Flower Diameter
pencil
Dominant Flower Color
white
Flower Symmetry
Varies:
radial symmetery,
bilateral symmetry,
not symmetrical
Leaf Hairs
has hairs
Leaf Arrangement
alternate
Leaf Margin
lobed
Leaf Structure
pinnate
Leaf Stalk
shorter than leaf
Stem Hairs
has hairs
Stem Cross Section
round or oval
Milky Sap
not present
Root Structure
taproot
Life Cycle
winter annual
Ochrea
not present
Plant Type
Herb