Cardamine is a large genus of flowering plants in the mustard family, Brassicaceae, known as bittercresses and toothworts. It contains more than 200 species of annuals and perennials. Species in this genus can be found in diverse habitats worldwide, except the Antarctic. The name Cardamine is derived from the Greek kardaminē, water cress, from kardamon, pepper grass.
Cardamine
Cardamine concatenata cutleaf toothwort
Cardamine nuttallii Nuttall's toothwort
Cardamine pattersonii Saddle Mountain bittercress
Brassicaceae or Cruciferae is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some are shrubs. The leaves are simple, lack stipules, and appear alternately on stems or in rosettes. The inflorescences are terminal and lack bracts. The flowers have four free sepals, four free alternating petals, two shorter free stamens and four longer free stamens. The fruit has seeds in rows, divided by a thin wall.
Brassicaceae
Ricotia lunaria
Typical floral diagram of a Brassicaceae (Erysimum "Bowles' Mauve")
Lunaria annua with dry walls of the fruit