Cabbage Family [Brassicaceae] |
status
flower
inner
morph
petals
stem
stem
20th April 2012, Foxfield, Broughton in Furness, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
There are four Winter-cresses, all similar, but this one has the largest flowers at up to 10mm across (but down to 7mm at which it can overlap with both Winter-cress (Barbarea vulgaris) and Early Winter-cress) (Barbarea intermedia). |
20th April 2012, Foxfield, Broughton in Furness, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Grows up to 60cm tall. Stems stiff and often angular. |
20th April 2012, Foxfield, Broughton in Furness, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Flowers 10 to 7mm across. |
20th April 2012, Foxfield, Broughton in Furness, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Four light-green sepals surround the flowers. |
20th April 2012, Foxfield, Broughton in Furness, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Un-opened flower buds cluster together near the top. |
20th April 2012, Foxfield, Broughton in Furness, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
The flowers have four petals, with cream coloured pollen. |
20th April 2012, Foxfield, Broughton in Furness, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
With a central and slightly protruding style. |
20th April 2012, Foxfield, Broughton in Furness, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Petals about twice as long as sepals. |
20th April 2012, Foxfield, Broughton in Furness, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
The most distinct feature separating the Wintergreens is the shape of both the stem leaves and the basal rosette of leaves. Stem leaves are all pinnately lobed with more gap than lobe. |
20th April 2012, Foxfield, Broughton in Furness, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
The stem leaves have rounded auricles that half-wrap around the stem which the otherwise similar Early Winter-cresslacks. (But which both Winter-cress and Small-flowered Winter-cressalso possess). |
20th April 2012, Foxfield, Broughton in Furness, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Stems fluted or angular in places, round in others. End-lobe of stem leaves is small (larger in Early Winter-cress). |
20th April 2012, Foxfield, Broughton in Furness, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Auricles half-rounded, but with square inner corners. |
20th April 2012, Foxfield, Broughton in Furness, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Basal leaves also pinnate, but not as narrow as stem leaves. End-lobe of basal leaves is oval (larger in Winter-cress). |
20th April 2012, Foxfield, Broughton in Furness, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
Stem leaf (centre left) in comparison to basal leaves in same photo. Has more lobes on the basal leaves. |
Medium-flowered Winter-cress(Barbarea intermedia) but this has smaller flowers at 5-7mm across, is a shorter plant at up to 60cm tall, and fruit 1.5-4cm long and style 0.6-1.7mm long.
Small-flowered Winter-cress(Barbarea stricta) but this has the smallest flowers at 5-6mm across, is just as tall as Winter-cress at up to 100cm tall, and fruit smaller still at 1.3-2.8cm long and style 05 - 1.8 (2.3)mm long. A distinguishing feature is that the basal leaves have a much wider terminal lobe than the other lateral leaflets on it.
Not to be confused with : Water-cresses nor American Willowherb (Epilobium ciliatum) [plants with similar names] Easily mistaken for : other Winter-cresses (see captions)
No relation to :
Has yellow flowers with four petals, as does Hedge Mustard,
The leaves are paler green than the other three Winter-cresses, Winter-cress, The seed pods are curved inwards and have the shortest styles on top (the terminal cylinder) in comparison to the other three Winter-cresses. Like Water-cress, the leaves of Winter-cress are used as dressings on dinner plates and as salad leaves in their own right. Grows as a casual in walls, hedge banks and waste places.
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Barbarea | verna | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Brassicaceae |
Barbarea (Winter-cresses) |
Cabbage Family [Brassicaceae] |