Cardamine corymbosa
Hook.f.Rhizomatous perennial herb to 20 cm high; flowering stems ascending or decumbent, glabrous or sparsely hairy. Leaves thin or somewhat fleshy, usually with scattered hairs c. 0.5 mm long on the upper surface; basal leaves rosetted, 2–4(–8) cm long, entire or pinnate with 1–2(–4) pairs of lateral pinnae and a larger, usually reniform terminal leaflet; cauline leaves 0–2(–4), entire or pinnately lobed, 1–4 cm long. Raceme corymbose or whorled, pedicles sometimes appearing solitary from base of plant; sepals 1–1.8 mm long, sometimes with a few hairs; petals (2–)3–4.5(–6) mm long, white, sometimes absent or reduced to 1 or 2; mature style to c. 1 mm long. Fruits inclined to less than 45° to rachis, clearly overtopping open flowers of the same inflorescence, 10–30 mm long, 0.5–1(–2.0) m wide; pedicles 5–20(–100) mm long; seeds c. 1 mm long.
VVP, GipP. Also naturalised in Tas. Native to New Zealand. Well established in shaded lawns, footpaths and garden beds in Parkville (The University of Melbourne grounds), and may occasionally be encountered as a nursery weed.
Cardamine corymbosa is readily distinguished by the long hairs on the petiole and lamina of basal leaves, and the often apetalous (or with just 1 or 2 petals) flowers, that are arranged in whorls of 3–4 or appear to arise singly from the base of the plant due to the flowering stem not elongating.
