Cardamine dolichostyla
Common name
bittercress
Synonyms
Once included in C. debilis, under the name Cardamine ‘Long Style’.
Family
Brassicaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened
Brief description
Perennial herb, a single rosette or with off-sets (short lateral branches). Leaves up to 130 mm long, deeply lobed; moderately hairy to hairless, somewhat glossy.
Inflorescence is a raceme, sometimes branched, each raceme 6–12-flowered; flowering stems to 400 mm or more tall. Mature flowers often turned horizontally rather than upright, flowering plants being relatively conspicuous in dark forest.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (south from South Auckland and west of the axial ranges), South Island (northern parts to Canterbury).
Habitat
Lowland to montane moist forest, sometimes disturbed sites.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FAC: Facultative
Commonly occurs as either a hydrophyte or non-hydrophyte (non-wetlands).
Similar taxa
Cardamine forsteri, which often grows with C. dolichostyla. The latter has larger flowers, which are often turned sideways, and the flowers have a longer style; leaves are somewhat more glossy than in C. forsteri.
Flower colours
White
Substrate
Soil, litter, bases of tree roots.
Etymology
cardamine: From the Greek name kárdamon, referring to an Indian spice