Rorippa palustris (L.) Besser, morph with short siliquae (Finland, Järvenpää, Lemmenlaakso, 1994; on the right) and morph with long siliquae (Finland, Lohja, Paksalo, 1989; on the left). – Image: Harri Harmaja (scanned from dried specimen). – A few plants with short siliquae grew in luxurious brookside woods in the famous nature reserve, with e.g. Anemone ranunculoides, Corydalis solida, Mercurialis perennis, Polygonatum multiflorum, Ranunculus ficaria and Symphytum officinale var. bohemicum. R. palustris (Brassicaceae) is known to be variable as to the fruit length (and consequently its shape). Theses short-fruited plants are considerably less frequent in Finland than those with longer, somewhat sausage-shaped siliquae. Whether this variability has any taxonomic relevance?
Created August 27, 2004.