Cardamine flagellifera

Cardamine flagellifera, commonly known as Blue Ridge bittercress,^[2] is a species of herbaceous plant in the mustard family. It is native to eastern North America, where it is found primarily in the southern Blue Ridge.^[2][3] It is a perennial that produces white flowers in the spring.^[4]

Cardamine flagellifera
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Brassicales
Family:	Brassicaceae
Genus:	Cardamine
Species:	C. flagellifera
Binomial name
Cardamine flagellifera O.E.Schulz

Its natural habitat is moist cove forests and bottomlands, along streambanks and in seepage areas.^[2] Unlike the similar-looking Cardamine clematis which grows in high elevations, C. flagellifera is typically found in low to moderate elevations.^[2]

This species is considered to be vulnerable due to its limited distribution, and its habitat requirement of forests with an undistributed herbaceous layer.^[1]

Taxonomy

Two varieties are sometimes recognized. These are:^[2]

• C. flagellifera var. flagellifera - Large-flowered Blue Ridge bittercress; widespread in the southern Appalachian Mountains.
• C. flagellifera var. hugeri - Small-flowered Blue Ridge bittercress; has a more restricted range.