Cardamine africana Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 655. 1973. Lectotype (designated by Marais, 1970): Hermann, Paradisus Batavus Fig. p. 202 (1698).
Cardamine innovans O. E. Schulz, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 32: 417. 1903. TYPE: Guatemala, above Tecpam, 2500 m, 1882, F. C. Lehmann 1475 (lectotype, here designated, G-BOIS).
Cardamine borbonica Persoon, Syn. Pl. 2: 195. 1807. TYPE: Réunion [Bourbon], Bory de St. Vincent (holotype, G).
Cardamine holtziana Engler & O. E. Schulz, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 32: 416. 1903. TYPE: Tanzania, Lushoto District, W. Usambara Mts, between Wambugu and Malalo, A. Engler 1356 (holotype, B).
Cardamine ovata Bentham var. corymbosa Britton, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 16: 16. 1889. TYPE. Bolivia, [La Paz], Undavi, 10000 ft, Oct 1885, H. H. Rusby 1206 (holotype, NY!).
Herbs, perennial. Rhizomes slender, not tuberous. Stems (5-)25-70(-80) cm, erect to ascending, simple or sometimes branched near middle, glabrous throughout or pubescent. Basal leaves not rosulate; lower and middle cauline leaves 4-10(-15) cm, trifoliolate; petiole 2-6(-7) cm; terminal leaflet (1-)1.5-7 ´ 1.5-4 cm, lanceolate to ovate, sparsely strigose with trichomes to 0.6 mm, base cuneate to subobtuse, margin ciliolate or glabrous, serrate or crenate, teeth mucronate, apex acute, petiolule 2-2.5 cm; lateral leaflets same size or slightly smaller than terminal one, base oblique. Racemes ebracteate, slightly elongated or not elongated in fruit; rachis straight; fruiting pedicels 0.5-3 cm, ascending, stout, straight. Sepals oblong, 1.5-4 ´ 1-1.5 mm, not saccate, caducous, glabrous; petals white or lavender, spatulate, 3.5-9 ´ 2-4 mm, apex obtuse; filaments 2.5-5 mm; anthers oblong, 1-1.5 mm; ovules 8-20 per ovary. Fruits linear, (2.5-)3.5-5(-6) cm ´ 1.5-2.5 mm, glabrous; style 0.5-1.5 mm, stout. Seeds brown, oblong, 1.5-2.5 ´ 1-1.5 mm.
Flowering: Sep-Jan.
Habitat: Moist or wet areas, mixed forests, disturbed places, roadside clearings, damp shady areas.
Elevation: 500-3400 m.
Distribution: native of Africa (Comores, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, South Africa, Tanzania, Ugunda), naturalized in Asia (India, Indonesia, Malesia, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka), Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico [Chiapas]), and South America [Argentina (Misiones, Salta, Tucumán), Bolivia (Cochabamba, La Paz, Santa Cruz, Tarija), Brazil (Parana, Río Grande Do Sul, Santa Catalina), Columbia (Cundinamarca), Ecuador (Santiago-Zamora), Peru (Amazonas, Cajamarca, Cuzco), Venezuela (Mérida)].