Cardamine impatiens Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 655. 1753. TYPE: Herb. Linn. 835.9 (lectotype designated by Jafri (1973: 169), LINN).
Cardamine basisagittata W. T. Wang, Acta Bot. Yunnan. 9: 10. 1987. TYPE: China, Sichuan, Kangding, Dajiangwan, 2700 m, 27 May 1974, Exped. Bot. Sichuan 6079 (holotype, PE!).
C. dasycarpa Marschall von Bieberstein, Fl. Taur. Cauc. 3: 437. 1819; C. impatiens var. dasycarpa (Marschall von Bieberstein) T. Y. Cheo & R. C. Fang, Bull. Bot. Lab. North-East. Forest. Inst., Harbin 1980(6): 21. 1980. TYPE:
Cardamine glaphyropoda O. E. Schulz, Acta Hort. Gothob. 1: 159. 1924. LECTOTYPE (here designated): China, Sichuan, Chunche, W of Sungpan, 32°39¢N, 102°58¢E, 1 August 1922, Harry Smith 4121 (hololectotype, UPS!; isolectotypes, B!, W!).
C. glaphyropoda var. crenata T. Y. Cheo & R. C. Fang, Bull. Bot. Lab. North-East. Forest. Inst., Harbin 1980(6): 21. 1980. TYPE: China, Sichuan, Markam Xian, 2520 m, 29 May 1957, Li Xing 70889 (holotype, SZ; isotype, NAS!).
Cardamine impatiens Linnaeus var. angustifolia O. E. Schulz, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 32: 459. 1903.
Cardamine impatiens Linnaeus var. dasycarpa (M. Bieb.) T. Y. Cheo & R. C. Fang, Bull. Bot. Lab. North-East. Forest. Inst., Harbin 6: 21. 1980. TYPE:
Cardamine impatiens Linnaeus subsp. elongata O. E. Schulz, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 32: 459. 1903.
Cardamine impatiens Linnaeus var. eriocarpa de Candolle, Syst. Nat. 2: 262. 1821.
Cardamine impatiens Linnaeus var. fumaria H. Léveillé, Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni Veg. 12: 100. 1913.
Cardamine impatiens Linnaeus var. microphylla O. E. Schulz, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 32: 460. 1903.
Cardamine impatiens Linnaeus var. obtusifolia Knaf, Flora 29: 294. 1846.
Cardamine impatiens Linnaeus var. pilosa O. E. Schulz, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 32: 459. 1903.
Cardamine impatiens Linnaeus var. tenuissima Honda, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 54: 1. 1940.
Cardamine nakaiana H. Léveillé, Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 350. 1912. TYPE: Korea, Quelpaert, Tpjengen, 11 Jun 1910, Taquet 4116 (holotype, E!).
Cardamine senanensis Franchet & Savatier, Enum. P. Jap. 2: 280. 1879. Japan, Prov. Senano, Savatier 2803 (holotype, P!).
Herbs, biennial or rarely annual, glabrous or rarely sparsely pubescent near base. Rhizomes absent; stolons absent. Stems (1.2–)2–6.5(–9) dm, erect, simple at base, usually branched, above, angled, sometimes flexuous. Basal leaves rosulate, often withered by flowering, similar to cauline leaves but with fewer later leaflets; cauline leaves to 9–24, (9–)13–25-foliolate, including petiole (3–)4–20(–23) cm; petiole 2–6 cm, auriculate, the auricles to 10 × 2.2 mm; terminal lobe orbicular, obovate, ovate, or lanceolate, 1–4(–5) × 0.5–1.7 cm, with a petiolule to 5 mm, entire or obscurely to strongly 3–5(–9)-toothed or -lobed; lateral lobes similar to terminal one, often smaller. Racemes ebracteate; fruiting pedicels divaricate or ascending, 3.5–12(–15) mm. Sepals oblong, 1.2–2(–2.5) × 0.7–1(–1.2) mm, base of lateral pair not saccate; petals white, oblanceolate, 1.5–4(–5) × 0.6–1.2 mm, rarely absent; stamens 6; filaments 2–3(–4) mm; anthers ovate, 0.3–0.5 mm. Fruit linear, (1–)1.6–3(–3.5) cm × 0.9–1.5 mm; valves glabrous or rarely pilose, torulose; style 0.6–1.6(–2) mm; ovules and seeds 10–30 per fruit. Seeds brown, oblong, 1.1–1.5 × 0.8–1 mm, compressed, sometimes apically narrowly winged. 2n = 16.
Flowering: Feb–Jul.
Habitat: streamsides, slopes, roadsides, fields, disturbed areas.
Elevation: 0–4000 m.
Distribution: native to Europe (all countries except Iceland and Portugal) and Asia [Afghanistan, Bhutan, China (Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan), India, Japan, Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan]; naturalized in South Africa, North America [Canada (Ontario), United States (Connecticut, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia)].