Serpentine bittercress facts for kids

Cardamine pachystigma is a type of plant often called serpentine bittercress. It's a special plant because it only grows naturally in California. You can find it in rocky mountain areas, especially where the soil is made of a unique rock called serpentine or volcanic rock.

What Does Serpentine Bittercress Look Like?

Serpentine bittercress is a plant that comes back year after year. It doesn't have any hairs on its stems. These stems grow straight up to about 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) tall. They grow from tiny underground stems called rhizomes.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of this plant usually have several smaller parts called leaflets. These leaflets are oval or round. They are also thick and feel a bit fleshy, growing several centimeters long.

The plant's flowers grow in a cluster called an inflorescence. These flowers are often pink or purple. Each flower petal can be up to one centimeter long.

Fruit

After the flowers bloom, the plant produces a fruit called a silique. This fruit can grow up to 6 centimeters long.

Different Kinds of Serpentine Bittercress

There are two main types, or varieties, of Cardamine pachystigma.

Dissected-Leaf Toothwort

One of these types is rarer and is called var. dissectifolia. Its common name is the dissected-leaf toothwort. This plant is not very common. You can find it spread out around the edge of the Sacramento Valley. It also grows in the coastal mountains to the west of the valley.