C A R D A M I N E amara.
Ritter Ladies'-Smock.
TETR AD YN AM IA Siliquofa.
Gen. Char. Pod burfling elaftically, the valves
turning back,equal to the partition. Stigma entire.
Cal. a little fpreading. One gland on each tide,
between the thorter ftamina and the' calyx.
Spec. Char. Leaves pinnate ; leaflets of the radical
ones rounditb$ thofe of the ftem toothed or
angular. Stem taking root at the bafe.
Syn. Cardamine amara. Linn. Sp, PI. 915. Sm.
FI. Bril. 699. Hudf. 294. With. 580. Hidl. 149.
Sihth. 206. Curt. Lond.fafc. 3. t. 39. Lightf. 350.
C, flore majore elatior. Raii Syn.. 299.
E i t h e r this fpecies o f Cardamine is rea lly very fcarce in
B r ita in , or it has been fometimes overlooked as a w h ite variety
o f the com m on C. pratenjis. From that it ma y neverthelefs be
a lways diftinguifhed, on the m o ll cafual v iew , b y the violet
hue o f its antherae. W h e n a ccurately compared m an y decifive
points o f difference w ill b e found.
C. amara grows in very wa tery places, generally b y the
fides o f rivers or brooks, flow e ring in A p r il and M a y . Its root
is perennial, toothed. Stems at th e bafe procumbent and
ta k in g root in the mu d, th en up righ t, a foot h ig h , fomewhat
z ig z a g , leafy. Lea ves-nea rly fm o o th ; the leaflets o f the lower
ones ro un difh ; thofe on the ftem ob lon g or e lliptical, varioufly
waved and toothed, totally u nlike thofe o f C. pratenjis. F low ers'
la rg e , w h ite or c ream-coloured. Antherae violet, o f w h ich
colour the bafe o f the petals often partakes. S ty le a little
elongated and oblique, as M r . C u r tis well remarks. Pods
eredt, rather th icke r than in the pratenjis. T h e leaves m ig h t
be gathered by miftake for W a te r -c r e ffe s . T h e y are pungent,
b u t w ould’ foon be difcovered b y th eir naufeous bitterifh tafte.
O u r fpec imen was fent from Ripon b y M r . W . B runton.