Cardamine nivalis Pallas, Reise Russ. Reich. 2: 113. 1773.
Herbs (20-)30-50(-63) cm tall, sparsely puberulent with trichomes ca. 0.1 mm. Stems glabrous basally, puberulent above. Basal leaves rosulate; petiole (1-)3-10(-15) cm; leaf blade oblong, elliptic, or lanceolate, 3-8 × (1.5-)2-3.5 cm, glabrous or margin puberulent, base obtuse or cuneate, margin entire, denticulate, or serrulate, apex obtuse or subacute. Lowermost cauline leaves petiolate, uppermost sessile; middle cauline leaves sessile or shortly petiolate, lanceolate, lanceolate-oblong, or elliptic, 3-9 × 0.6-2.5 cm, margin entire, apex acute. Fruiting pedicels stout, 0.5-2 mm, horizontal, puberulent. Sepals oblong-linear, 4-5 × 1-1.5 mm, glabrous. Petals white, linear to linear-oblanceolate, 6-10 × 0.7-1 mm; claw slender, 3-5 mm. Filaments white, 5-8 mm; anthers purplish, oblong-linear, 1.5-2 mm. Ovules 12-18 per ovary. Fruit linear, (1.8-)2.2-4(-4.8) cm × 3-4.5 mm, glabrous, strongly torulose; gynophore 3-6 mm, puberulent, strongly recurved; style 0.2-1 mm. Seeds brown, orbicular or ovate-oblong, 2.5-3.2 × 1.8-3 mm; wing 0.2-0.5 mm. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Aug-Sep. 2n = 30.
Alpine meadows, river banks; 2000-2200 m. Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia].
