Cardamine concatenata, the cutleaved toothwort, crow's toes, pepper root or purple-flowered toothwort, is a flowering plant in Brassicaceae. It owes its name to the tooth-like appearance of its rhizome.[3] It is a perennial woodland wildflower native to eastern North America.[4] It is considered a spring ephemeral and blooms in March, April, and/or May.[3]
The vegetative parts of this plant, which can reach 20–40 cm, arise from a segmented rhizome. The leaves are on long petioles, deeply and palmately dissected into five segments with large "teeth" on the margins. The white to pinkish flowers are held above the foliage in a spike. Fruit is an elongated pod which can be up to 4 cm long.[3][5] Its native habitats include rich woods, wooded bottomlands, limestone outcrops, and rocky banks and bluffs.[3]
Cardamine concatenata was first described as Dentaria concatenata by the French botanist André Michaux in 1803.[6] Otto Karl Anton Schwarz placed Dentaria concatenata Michx. in genus Cardamine in 1939.[2] The name Cardamine concatenata (Michx.) O.Schwarz is widely used today.[7][8]
Cardamine concatenata is a member of the Cardamine concatenata alliance, a monophyletic group of eastern North American species that includes Cardamine angustata, Cardamine concatenata, Cardamine diphylla, Cardamine dissecta, Cardamine incisa, and Cardamine maxima.[9] All members of the alliance were previously placed in genus Dentaria Tourn. ex L., which is now considered to be a synonym for Cardamine L.[10]
The global conservation status of Cardamine concatenata is secure (G5).[1]
The roots can be washed, chopped and ground in vinegar to be used as a horseradish substitute.[5]
Cardamine concatenata, the cutleaved toothwort, crow's toes, pepper root or purple-flowered toothwort, is a flowering plant in Brassicaceae. It owes its name to the tooth-like appearance of its rhizome. It is a perennial woodland wildflower native to eastern North America. It is considered a spring ephemeral and blooms in March, April, and/or May.
