Cardamine hirsuta L.

Spice In the field

Family: CRUCIFERAE (BRASSICACEAE)

Genus: Cardamine

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera. Cabrera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Holoartica

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Terophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Rocky surfaces and dry stone walls. Humid soils.

Characteristics: This is a relatively easy Cruciferae to identify. It has white flowers; the silique fruits are more or less erect and exceed the flowers; the greatly divided leaves have a rounded terminal lobule which is larger than the others. It lives in slightly moist places, sometimes on stones and walls.