Cardamine calcicola W. W. Sm.

Cardamine calcicola is a rare and highly restricted species known to the present authors from only a few collections, including Handel-Mazzetti 6564 (E, GH, US, W, WU) and Forrest 26329 (BM, E, K). It was recorded from Sichuan in FRPS and Fl. Sichuan. (14: 92. 1999), but the present authors have seen no material from that province, and the records may well be misidentifications.

Herbs perennial, 10-35 cm tall, sparsely to densely pilose on stem and petioles with crisped trichomes to 1.2 mm. Rhizomes thick, short, often with several stolons. Stems erect, simple, pilose or distal parts subglabrous, not flexuous. Basal leaves rosulate, simple or rarely trifoliolate; petiole 1-10 cm, often densely pilose; leaf blade or terminal leaflet reniform, 0.7-3 × 1-4 cm, sparsely pilose or subglabrous, base cordate, margin subentire, repand, or 7-9-crenate, apex acute or obtuse. Cauline leaves 2-6, 3-7-foliolate; petiole 0.2-2.5 cm, not auriculate at base; terminal leaflet obovate, 0.7-2.5 × 0.6-2.5 cm, with a petiolule 1-8 mm, sparsely pilose or subglabrous, base cuneate and often decurrent with adjacent lateral leaflets, margin entire or obscurely to strongly dentate, apex acute or rounded; lateral leaflets much smaller than terminal one, sessile or rarely shortly petiolulate. Fruiting pedicels divaricate or ascending, 0.7-1.6 cm, straight. Sepals oblong, 3-4 × 1-2 mm, margin and apex membranous, base not saccate. Petals white, obovate, 6-9 × 3-5 mm, apex rounded. Median filament pairs 2.5-3.5 mm, lateral pair 2-2.5 mm; anthers narrowly oblong, 1-1.3 mm. Ovules 12-14 per ovary. Fruit linear, 2-3 cm × 1-1.5 mm; valves glabrous, smooth; style 0.5-2 mm. Seeds brown, oblong-ovate, 1.3-1.9 × 0.8-1.3 mm, wingless. Fl. and fr. May-Jul.

Yunnan.

* Crevices of limestone cliffs, moist rocky pastures, valleys; 2600-3700 m.