Cardamine pratensis Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 656. 1753; Dracamine pratensis (Linnaeus) Nieuwland, Amer. Midl. Naturalist, 4: 40. 1915. TYPE: Herb. Linn. 835.15 (lectotype designated by Khatri (1989: 92), LINN).

Herbs perennial, glabrous or rarely sparsely pilose basally. Rhizomes not fleshy, cylindrical, not fragile; stolons absent. Stems (0.8–)1.5–5.5(–8) dm, erect, simple. Leaves thin, with raised veins; rhizomal leaves to 30 cm; petiole (1–)2–7(–10) cm; terminal leaflet orbicular or broadly obovate, 0.3–2 cm in diam., with a petiolule to 1.5 cm, base rounded, rarely subreniform or cuneate, margin repand, apex rounded; lateral leaflets (0 or)2–8(–15) on each side of rachis, about as large as or smaller than terminal leaflet, orbicular, ovate, or obovate, petiolulate or sessile, margin crenate or repand; cauline leaves 2–12(–18), including petiole 2–17 cm, pinnatisect, glabrous; petiole base not auriculate; terminal lobe linear, oblong, ovate, or lanceolate, 1–2.5(–3.5) cm × 5–8(–10) mm, petiolulate or sessile; lateral lobes or leaflets 4–7(–13) on each side of rachis, similar to terminal lobe, base petiolulate or sessile and decurrent, margin entire or rarely dentate. Racemes ebracteate; fruiting pedicels erect-ascending or subdivaricate, (0.5–)1.2–2.5(–3) cm. Sepals oblong or ovate, (2.5–)3–5(–6) × 1–2 mm, erect or spreading, base saccate; petals purple or lilac, rarely white, obovate, (6–)8–15(–18) × 3–7.5(–10) mm, clawed, apex rounded or emarginate; median filament pairs 5–10 mm, lateral pair 3–6 mm; anthers narrowly oblong, (0.8–)1.2–2 mm. Fruit linear, (1.6–)2.5–4.5(–5) cm × (1.2–)1.5–2.3 mm; valves glabrous; style (0.5–)1–2.2(–2.7) mm, stout; ovules and seeds 20–30 per fruit. Seeds light brown, oblong, 1.2–1.8(–2) × 1–1.4 mm. 2n = 16.

Flowering: May–Aug.

Habitat: Moist grounds, river or streamsides, limestone shores, sedge and grass meadows, marshy pond margins, mossy areas, wet hollow, boggy areas, turfy shores, damp creek banks, swamps, brooks and ditches, moist ravines, springy swales.

Elevation: 0–1000 m.

Distribution: all Europe, Canada (British Columbia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec), China (Heilongjiang, Nei Mongol, Xinjiang, W Xizang), Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia (European Part, Siberia, Far East), United States (Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont).