Cardamine pratensis, the cuckoo flower, lady's smock, mayflower, or milkmaids, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is a perennial herb native throughout most of Europe and Western Asia. The specific name pratensis is Latin for "meadow".
Cardamine pratensis is a herbaceous, hairless,[1]perennial plant growing to 40–60 cm tall, with pinnate leaves 5–12 cm long with 3–15 leaflets, each leaflet about 1 cm long. The flowers are produced on a spike 10–30 cm long, each flower 1–2 cm in diameter with four very pale violet-pink (rarely white) petals. The style of the fruit is short or longish.[1] It grows best close to water.
Etymology
Its common name cuckoo flower derives from the formation of the plant's flowers at around the same time as the arrival each spring of the first cuckoos in the British Isles.[2] An alternative 16th century dated tale refers to 'cuckoo spit', which the plant is sometimes covered in, due to a bug called the froghopper and not the cuckoo.[3]
Taxonomy
Cardamine pratensis is a polyploid complex, with all ploidy levels from diploid to decaploid, and dodecaploid, known, as well as frequent aneuploids. It may be treated as a single species, or divided into Cardamine pratensis s.str. (diploid to heptaploid) and Cardamine palustris (syn. Cardamine pratensissubsp.paludosa (Knaf) Celak., Cardamine dentata Schult.)[4]) (octaploid to decaploid).
Distribution
The species is commonly found throughout the British Isles.[5]
Recorded in Ireland from all 40 of the "vice-counties" (a system adopted by Praeger in 1901).[6]
Cultivation
It is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, and has become naturalised in North America as a result of cultivation. In some European countries, including parts of Germany, the plant is now under threat.
It is a food plant for the orange tip butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) and makes a valuable addition to any garden which aims at attracting wildlife. It was once used as a substitute for watercress.
Folklore
In folklore it was said to be sacred to the fairies, and so was unlucky if brought indoors. It was not included in May Daygarlands for the same reason.[7]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cardamine pratensis.
January 19, 2023
cardamine, pratensis, cuckoo, flower, lady, smock, mayflower, milkmaids, flowering, plant, family, brassicaceae, perennial, herb, native, throughout, most, europe, western, asia, specific, name, pratensis, latin, meadow, scientific, classificationkingdom, plan. Cardamine pratensis the cuckoo flower lady s smock mayflower or milkmaids is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae It is a perennial herb native throughout most of Europe and Western Asia The specific name pratensis is Latin for meadow Cardamine pratensisScientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade EudicotsClade RosidsOrder BrassicalesFamily BrassicaceaeGenus CardamineSpecies C pratensisBinomial nameCardamine pratensisL Contents 1 Description 2 Etymology 3 Taxonomy 4 Distribution 5 Cultivation 6 Folklore 7 Additional general information 8 Gallery 9 References 10 External linksDescription EditCardamine pratensis is a herbaceous hairless 1 perennial plant growing to 40 60 cm tall with pinnate leaves 5 12 cm long with 3 15 leaflets each leaflet about 1 cm long The flowers are produced on a spike 10 30 cm long each flower 1 2 cm in diameter with four very pale violet pink rarely white petals The style of the fruit is short or longish 1 It grows best close to water Etymology EditIts common name cuckoo flower derives from the formation of the plant s flowers at around the same time as the arrival each spring of the first cuckoos in the British Isles 2 An alternative 16th century dated tale refers to cuckoo spit which the plant is sometimes covered in due to a bug called the froghopper and not the cuckoo 3 Taxonomy EditCardamine pratensis is a polyploid complex with all ploidy levels from diploid to decaploid and dodecaploid known as well as frequent aneuploids It may be treated as a single species or divided into Cardamine pratensis s str diploid to heptaploid and Cardamine palustris syn Cardamine pratensis subsp paludosa Knaf Celak Cardamine dentata Schult 4 octaploid to decaploid Distribution EditThe species is commonly found throughout the British Isles 5 Recorded in Ireland from all 40 of the vice counties a system adopted by Praeger in 1901 6 Cultivation EditIt is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens and has become naturalised in North America as a result of cultivation In some European countries including parts of Germany the plant is now under threat It is a food plant for the orange tip butterfly Anthocharis cardamines and makes a valuable addition to any garden which aims at attracting wildlife It was once used as a substitute for watercress Folklore EditIn folklore it was said to be sacred to the fairies and so was unlucky if brought indoors It was not included in May Day garlands for the same reason 7 Additional general information EditIt is the county flower of the English county of Cheshire 8 Gallery Edit Cardamine pratensis in Bavaria Germany Cardamine pratensis growing in Wiltshire UK Details of flowers Buds of a Cardamine pratensis Botanical illustration from Otto Wilhelm Thome Flora von Deutschland Osterreich und der Schweiz 1885 Gera Germany Flowers Plants Flowers pinker variety SeedlingReferences Edit a b Webb D A Parnell J and Doogue D An Irish Flora 1996 Dundalgan Press Dundalk ISBN 0 85221 131 7 Lady s Smock Wildflowers Wildlife www wildlifetrusts org Retrieved 2016 10 10 Reader s Digest Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of Britain Reader s Digest 1981 p 57 ISBN 978 0 276 00217 5 Cardamine dentata Schult www worldfloraonline org Retrieved 15 February 2021 Clapham A R Tutin T G and Warburg E F 1968 Excursion Flora of the British Isles Cambridge University Press ISBN 0 521 04656 4 Scannell M J P and Synnott D M 1972 Census Catalogue of the Flora of Ireland Dublin Howard Michael Traditional Folk Remedies Century 1987 p Cuckooflower Plant amp fungi species Wild plants www plantlife org uk Retrieved 2016 10 10 External links EditBlanchan Neltje 2002 Wild Flowers An Aid to Knowledge of our Wild Flowers and their Insect Visitors Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cardamine pratensis Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cardamine pratensis amp oldid 1094179441, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
