Cardamine californica (Nuttall) Greene, Fl. Francisc. 266. 1891; Dentaria californica Nuttall in Torrey & A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 88. 1838; D. integrifolia var. californica (Nuttall) Jepson, Man. Fl. Pl. Calif. 426. 1925. TYPE: United States, California, T. Nuttall s.n. (BM!).
Cardamine californica var. brevistyla O. E. Schulz, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 32: 389. 1903. TYPE:
Cardamine californica var. fecunda O. E. Schulz, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 32: 386. 1903. TYPE:
Cardamine californica var. pubescens O. E. Schulz, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 32: 388. 1903. TYPE:
Cardamine californica var. robinsoniana O. E. Schulz, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 32: 385. 1903. TYPE:
Cardamine cardiophylla Greene, Fl. Francisc. 266. 1891; C. californica prol. cardiophylla (Greene) O. E. Schulz, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 32: 388. 1903; C. californica var. cardiophylla (Greene) Rollins, Harvard Pap. Bot. 4: 44. 1993; D. cardiophylla (Greene) B. L. Robinson in A. Gray & S. Watson, Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 1(1): 155. 1895; D. californica var. cardiophylla (Greene) Detling, Amer. J. Bot. 23: 576. 1936; D. integrifolia var. cardiophylla (Greene) Jepson, Man. Fl. Pl. Calif. 426. 1925. TYPE:
Cardamine cuneata Greene, Bull. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 74. 1885; C. californica subsp. cuneata (Greene) O. E. Schulz, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 32: 386. 1903; C. californica var. cuneata (Greene) Rollins; D. californica var. cuneata (Greene) Detling, Amer. J. Bot. 23: 576. 1936; D. cuneata (Greene) Greene, Pittonia 3: 123. 1896. TYPE:
Cardamine sinuata Greene, Erythea 1: 148. 1893; C. californica var. sinuata (Greene) O. E. Schulz, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 32: 387. 1903; C. integrifolia var. sinuata (Greene) C. L. Hitchcock, Univ. Wash. Publ. Biol. 17(2): 469. 1964; D. sinuata (Greene) Greene, Pittonia 3: 123. 1896; D. californica var. sinuata (Greene) Detling, Amer. J. Bot. 23: 576. 1936. TYPE:
Cardamine pauscisecta Bentham, Pl. Hartweg. 297. 1848. TYPE:
Dentaria integrifolia Nuttall in Torrey & A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 88. 1838; C. integrifolia (Nuttall) Greene, Bull. Calif. Acad. Sci. 2: 389. 1887; C. californica prol. integrifolia (Nuttall) O. E. Schulz, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 32: 386. 1903; C. californica var. integrifolia (Nuttall) Rollins, Harvard Pap. Bot. 4: 44. 1993; D. californica var. integrifolia (Nuttall) Detling, Amer. J. Bot. 23: 586. 1936. TYPE:
D. integrifolia var. traceyi Jepson, Man. Fl. Pl. Calif. 426. 1925. TYPE:
Dentaria pachystigma S. Watson var. dissectifolia Detling, Amer. J. Bot. 23: 575. 1936; C. pachystigma (S. Watson) Rollins var. dissectifolia (Detling) Rollins, Harvard Pap. Bot. 4: 45. 1993. TYPE: United States, California, Butte Co., Magalia, L. E. Detling 1631 (holotype, DS!).
Herbs, perennial, glabrous or rarely minutely pubescent. Rhizomes fleshy, globose to ovoid or suboblong, (3–)4–10 mm in diam., deeply underground; stolons absent. Stems (2–)2.7–6(–7) dm, erect, simple, glabrous or rarely pubescent. Rhizomal leaves 3(or 5–7)-foliolate, or occasionally simple, 8–25(–38) cm; petiole (5–)8–25(–32) cm; terminal leaflet or blade of simple leaf ovate to orbicular to broadly cordate or reniform, (1.5–)2.5–7.5(–10) × (1.2–)2–9(–13) cm, with a petiolule (0.7–)2–5(–11) cm, base obtuse to cordate, margin entire or dentate to shallowly sinuate, often with apiculae at veins ending at margin, glabrous or minutely pubescent on veins; lateral leaflets (when present) about as large as or smaller than terminal leaflet, petiolulate to subsessile, margin same as terminal leaflet; cauline leaves 2–5, 3(or 5)-foliolate or rarely simple; petiole 1–5(–9) cm, base not auriculate; terminal lobe broadly ovate to suborbicular or lanceolate, rarely narrowly oblong, 1–7 × (0.5–)1–4.7(–6.5) cm, petiolulate or sessile; lateral leaflets similar to terminal one but smaller, sessile, margin dentate or rarely entire. Racemes ebracteate; fruiting pedicels ascending to divaricate, 1–3.3(–4.1) cm. Sepals oblong, 3.5–4.5(–5.5) × 1.5–2(–2.5) mm, erect to ascending, base of lateral pair saccate; petals white to pale rose, often broadly obovate, 8–13(–15) × 4–8 mm, clawed, apex rounded; median filament pairs 4–6.5 mm, lateral pair 3–4 mm; anthers oblong, 1.2–1.7 mm. Fruit linear, 2.2–5.4(–6) cm × 2–3 mm; valves glabrous; style 2–5(–6) mm; ovules and seeds 12–22 per fruit. Seeds dark brown, oblong to broadly ovate, 1.7–2.8 × 1.2–1.8 mm. 2n = 32.
Flowering: Jan–May.
Habitat: wooded ravines, forest floor, shady slopes, open woods, shady rock crevices, stream banks and bottoms, caynons, moist hillsides, cliffs.
Elevation: 0–1400 m.
Distribution: Mexico (Baja California), United States (California).