{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}} {{Speciesbox | image = Cardamine bellidifolia nordflora.jpg | status = G5 | status_system = TNC | genus = Cardamine | species = bellidifolia | authority = L. }}
'''''Cardamine bellidifolia''''' is a species of perennial rhizomatous forb known by the common name '''alpine bittercress'''. This species is a circumboreal alpine plant endemic to North America, Europe, and Asia.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Cardamine bellidifolia |url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.147592/Cardamine_bellidifolia |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=NatureServe Explorer 2.0}}</ref>
==Description==
Alpine bittercress grows from a taproot. The plant has erect or ascending glabrous, somewhat cespitose, stems roughly 2 to 10 cm (0.8 to 3.9 in) in length. Rhizomes are absent. There are numerous small ovate to oblong leaves, 5 to 30 mm (0.2 to 1.2 in) long, that grow around the base in a rosette, with small teeth along the margins. The petioles are 2 to 4 times longer than the leaf. There can be 1 to 3 cauline leaves, but they are frequently absent. The flower's petals are 4 to 5.5 mm (0.18 to 0.23 in) in length and 1.3 to 2 mm (0.05 to 0.08 in) in width, white, oblanceolate, with rounded or notched tips. The seed is oblong, 8 to 18 mm (0.3 to 0.71 in) in length and 1.5 to 2 mm (0.06 to 0.08 in) in width.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Cardamine bellidifolia |url=https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=17124 |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=ucjeps.berkeley.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cardamine bellidifolia |url=https://oregonflora.org/taxa/index.php?taxauthid=1&taxon=3583&cl=9774 |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=oregonflora.org}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Cardamine bellidifolia |url=https://burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Cardamine%20bellidifolia |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=burkeherbarium.org}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Maine Natural Areas Program Rare Plant Fact Sheet for Cardamine bellidifolia |url=https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mnap/features/carbel.htm |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=www.maine.gov}}</ref> Alpine bittercress can grow up to 6 inches tall.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Cardamine bellidifolia |url=https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CABE |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center}}</ref>
This species flowers from June to September.<ref name=":4" />
== Range and habitat == The alpine bittercress can be found throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. In the United States, populations have been located in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, New Hampshire, and Maine. In Canada, populations have been found in the provinces of Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Alberta, and British Columbia.<ref name=":0" /> In mainland Europe, alpine bittercress had been found in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. Additionally, alpine bittercress is native to Greenland, Iceland, and Russia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cardamine bellidifolia L. |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:280178-1 |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=Plants of the World Online |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=alpine bittercress (Cardamine bellidifolia) |url=https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/75999-Cardamine-bellidifolia |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=iNaturalist |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cardamine bellidifolia L. |url=https://www.gbif.org/species/3046155 |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=www.gbif.org |language=en}}</ref>
While alpine bittercress is listed as secure globally, the species is listed as vulnerable in Alberta and Labrador, critically imperiled on Newfoundland island, and it is presumed extirpated from Maine.<ref name=":0" /> Though the species is unraked in New Hampshire, it is very rare and can only be found in the alpine northern portion of the state.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Cardamine bellidifolia (alpine bitter-cress) |url=https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/cardamine/bellidifolia/ |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=GoBotany: Native Plant Trust}}</ref>
In the United States, alpine bittercress is a facultative (FAC) plant (facultative wetland (FACW) in the Northcentral and Northeast region (NCNE)), and occurs in wetlands and non-wetlands.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cardamine bellidifolia |url=https://nwpl.sec.usace.army.mil/plant/CABE/ |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=USACE National Wetland Plant List}}</ref> Across its range, the species prefers alpine and subalpine climates, and can be found on or around alpine brooks, cliffs, ravines, rocky slopes, fellfields, and alpine meadows.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cardamine bellidifolia |url=https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=9755 |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=www.calflora.org}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> It grows in elevations of 1800 to 2850 m (5905.5 to 9350.4 ft).<ref name=":1" />
== Threats == Alpine bittercress is currently believed to be in decline as there more known historic occurrences than current occurrences.<ref name=":5" /> Potential threats include trampling,<ref name=":5" /> reduction and removal of viable habitat, and small population sizes.<ref name=":3" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q3653070}}
bellidifolia Category:Flora of Alaska Category:Flora of Oregon Category:Flora of Washington (state) Category:Flora of California Category:Flora of British Columbia Category:Flora of Maine Category:Flora of New Hampshire Category:Flora of Quebec Category:Flora of Canada Category:Flora of Alberta Category:Flora of the Northwest Territories Category:Flora of Newfoundland Category:Flora of Labrador Category:Flora of Yukon Category:Flora of Russia Category:Flora of Spain Category:Flora of Italy Category:Flora of Greenland Category:Flora of Switzerland Category:Flora of Austria Category:Flora of France Category:Flora of Germany Category:Flora of Iceland Category:NatureServe secure species