British Wild Flowers: A photographic guide to every common species. Paul Sterry

      Bush, Robin

      Large Bitter-cress

      Large Bitter-cress Cardamine amara HEIGHT to 60cm

      Upright perennial found in damp, shady places in woods and marshes. FLOWERS 12mm across with 4 white petals and violet anthers (Apr–June). FRUITS Slender, beaked pods, up to 4cm long. LEAVES Pinnately divided, with slightly toothed oval lobes. STATUS Wide spread but local; scarce in, or absent from, W England and S Ireland.

      Cuckooflower

      Cuckooflower

      Cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis HEIGHT to 50cm

      Variable perennial of damp, grassy places. Also known as Lady’s-smock. FLOWERS 12–20mm across with 4 pale lilac or white flowers (Apr– June). FRUITS Elongated, beaked. LEAVES Seen mainly in a basal rosette of pinnately divided leaves with rounded lobes; narrow stem leaves also present. STATUS Widespread and locally common.

      Cleave, Andrew

      Coralroot

      Coralroot Cardamine bulbifera HEIGHT to 70cm

      Perennial of undisturbed woodland on calcareous or sandy soils. FLOWERS 12–18mm across with 4 pink petals; in terminal heads (Apr–May). FRUITS Narrow, 3.5cm long. LEAVES Pinnately divided (upper ones less so) with 1–3 pairs of leaflets; borne up stem with brown bulbils in axils. STATUS Scarce and local; SE England only.

      Northern Rock-cress

      Northern Rock-cress Arabis petraea HEIGHT to 30cm

      Variable perennial of rocky places in mountains. FLOWERS 5–7mm across with 4 whitish or lilac petals (June–Aug). FRUITS Curved, 4cm long. LEAVES Basal rosette of pinnately lobed, stalked leaves plus narrow, toothed stem leaves. STATUS Local. Tower Mustard A. glabra is tall (to 1m); greyish, arrow-shaped, clasping leaves and tiny pale flowers. Scarce on dry ground in south.

      Hairy Rock-cress

      Hairy Rock-cress Arabis hirsuta HEIGHT to 60cm

      Variable, hairy biennial found in calcareous grassland. FLOWERS 3–5mm across with 4 white petals; in dense, terminal heads (May–Aug). FRUITS Cylindrical, upright pods 3.5cm long. LEAVES Barely toothed, oval; basal ones in a rosette, stem leaves clasping. STATUS Widespread but only locally common.

      Bush, Robin

      Hutchinsia

      Hutchinsia Hornungia petraea HEIGHT to 15cm

      Delicate, usually branching annual of limestone and sandy soils. FLOWERS 1mm across with 4 whitish petals (Mar–May). FRUITS Flattened, elliptical pods. LEAVES Pinnately divided; basal ones stalked and forming a rosette; stems leaves unstalked. STATUS Local and scarce in the west, mainly Mendips and Gower to N Yorkshire.