Common bittercress

Cardamine hirsuta

Family: Brassicaceae Genus: Cardamine Species: hirsuta

Synonyms: Cardamine virginica, Cardamine hirsuta f. subnuda, Ghinia hirsuta, Cardamine hirsuta f. pilosa, Cardamine hirsuta var. rotundiloba, Cardamine hirsuta var. glabra, Cardamine hirsuta var. formosana, Cardamine fagetina, Cardamine hirsuta var. unicaulis, Cardamine scutata var. rotundiloba, Cardamine tetrandra, Cardamine hirsuta f. multicaulis, Cardamine hirsuta var. exigua, Crucifera cardamine, Cardamine hirsuta f. coerulescens, Cardamine hirsuta var. foliosa, Cardamine hirsuta var. sabulosa, Cardamine scutata var. formosana, Cardamine hirsuta var. multicaulis, Cardamine hirsuta var. montana, Cardamine hirsuta f. apetala, Cardamine hirsuta var. micrantha, Cardamine praecox, Cardamine hirsuta var. petiolulata, Cardamine hirsuta var. prolifera, Cardamine hirsuta var. maxima, Cardamine hirsuta subsp. puberula, Cardamine hirsuta var. litoralis, Cardamine parviflora, Cardamine hirsuta subsp. multicaulis, Ghinia sylvatica, Cardamine humilis, Cardamine hirsuta var. pterocarpa, Cardamine hirsuta f. unicaulis, Cardamine hirsuta var. pilosa, Cardamine hirsuta var. tetrandra, Cardamine hirsuta var. stylosa, Cardamine hirsuta f. glabra, Cardamine angulata, Cardamine hirsuta var. clandestina, Cardamine hirsuta var. apetala, Cardamine micrantha, Cardamine hirsuta f. foliosa, Cardamine hirsuta f. litoralis, Cardamine hirsuta f. umbrosa, Cardamine multicaulis, Cardamine hirsuta f. grandiflora, Cardamine simensis, Cardamine hirsuta subvar. puberula, Cardamine tenella, Cardamine umbrosa, Cardamine borbonica, Cardamine hirsuta var. major, Cardamine angulata var. alba, Cardamine hirsuta var. sylvatica

Common bittercress (en)

Gallery

Botanical Description

Cardamine hirsuta, the hairy bittercress, is a small, fast-growing annual or biennial herb of the cabbage family, 5 to 30 cm tall, forming a basal rosette from which slender, usually nearly hairless flowering stems arise. The basal leaves are pinnate with several pairs of rounded to kidney-shaped, slightly hairy leaflets and a larger terminal leaflet; the few stem leaves are smaller and narrower. The tiny flowers are borne in a short cluster at the stem tip, each with four small white petals and, characteristically, usually four (not six) stamens. The fruit is a slender, erect cylindrical pod (silique) that, when ripe, springs open explosively to fling its seeds some distance. Native to Europe and Asia and naturalized worldwide, hairy bittercress is a common weed of gardens, paths, walls, and disturbed ground, and its peppery leaves are edible.

Native Region: Albania, Algeria, Assam, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Borneo, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canary Is., China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Congo, Corse, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East Aegean Is., East Himalaya, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Føroyar, Gabon, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Gulf of Guinea Is., Hungary, India, Inner Mongolia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Kriti, Krym, Laos, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Malaya, Manchuria, Mauritius, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Guinea, North Caucasus, Northwest European R, Norway, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qinghai, Romania, Rwanda, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Sicilia, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sumatera, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tibet, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Xinjiang, Yugoslavia, Zaïre

Cultural & Historical Context

Traditional American Uses

None Documented

Chemistry & External Identifiers

Trefle ID

157038

Important Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.

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