PROTECTING WISCONSIN'S BIODIVERSITY

 
 
   
 
Scientific Name Common Name Global Rank State Rank Federal Status WI Status

Large Toothwort (Cardamine maxima)

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Photo by Kevin Doyle

 

Counties with Mapped NHI Occurrences

Large Toothwort (Cardamine maxima), a Wisconsin Special Concern plant, is found in rich mesic floodplain terraces. Blooming occurs late-April through early-June, fruiting throughout June. The optimal identification period for this species is late-April through May.

Cardamine x maxima, Dentaria maxima

 
 
 

Large toothwort is an erect forb, 15-40cm tall, with purplish, 4-parted, bell-shaped flowers with 11-17mm petals and a often sparsely pubescent peduncle. Its fruit are elongated, thin pods, 2-4cm long. Its has 3 distinctly alternate leaves each with 3-parted ovate leaflets. The leaflet margins are toothed and distinctly ciliolate. This species is smooth and hairless with the exception of the hairs on the leaf edges. It forms rhizomatous colonies.

Large toothwort has purple 4-parted flowers, 3 distinctly alternate leaves with 3-parted with ovate leaflets, the margins toothed and distinctly ciliolate. In contrast, C diphyllya has white flowers and 2 opposite, 3-parted leaves with margins glabrous to merely scabrous.

Rhizomatous. Blooming occurs late-April through early-June, fruiting throughout June.

Annual/perennial. The optimal identification period for this species is late-April through May.

Associated species include Acer saccharum, Tilia americana, Claytonia virginica, Erythronium species, Cardamine concatenata, and C laciniata.

Large toothwort prefers rich mesic soils and is found in rich mesic floodplain terraces.

Avoid known individual plant locations and conduct operations elsewhere when they are least likely to cause damage. Ideally, this would involve frozen, snow-covered ground. However, in areas of the state where frozen conditions are unreliable, very dry soils late in the growing season might be the best available alternative. Consult with a biologist, if needed.

Avoid broadcast spraying of herbicides and use care with spot spraying.

Avoid site preparation that heavily disturbs herbaceous ground layer and soil, including bulldozing and furrowing, as well as grubbing and stump removal.

Minimize disturbance to hydrology, including soil disturbance from rutting.

Avoid rapid and dramatic reductions in canopy cover and, basal area, in wet areas to reduce risk of swamping.

Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) are associated with habitats (or natural communities) and places on the landscape. Understanding relationships among SGCN, natural communities and ecological landscapes help us make decisions about issues affecting SGCN and their habitat and how to respond. Download the Wildlife Action Plan association score spreadsheet to explore rare species, natural communities and ecological landscape associations

Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.