Large bittercress

Cardamine amara, the large bittercress, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) with upright, mostly unbranched stems reaching up to 70 cm tall. The pinnately compound leaves comprise between three and thirteen leaflets and arise both from the base and along the stem. White flowers—sometimes pink or purple-tinged—bear four petals 8–14 mm long arranged in the cross-shaped pattern characteristic of the family, blooming from late spring into summer. The fruits are slender siliques typical of Brassicaceae. The species inhabits damp or wet ground, including stream banks, springs, wet meadows, ditches, and flushes, and is widespread across temperate Europe and into western Asia. It is closely related to the cresses but is distinguished by its bitter taste, larger stature, and tolerance of cool, waterlogged conditions.