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Nasturtium officinale
| Common name: |
Watercress |
Family: |
Cruciferae |
| Author: |
R.Br. |
Botanical references: |
17, 200 |
| Synonyms: |
Sisymbrium nasturtium-aquaticum (L.), Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum ((L.)Hayek.) |
| Known Hazards: |
Whilst the plant is very wholesome and nutritious, some care should be taken if harvesting it from the wild. Any plants growing in water that drains from fields where animals, particularly sheep, graze should not be used raw. This is due to the risk of it being infested with the liver fluke parasite[5, 244]. Cooking the leaves, however, will destroy any parasites and render the plant perfectly safe to eat[244]. |
| Range: |
Europe, including Britain, from Sweden and Denmark south and east to N. Africa and W. Asia. |
| Habitat: |
Stream margins, ditches, flushes etc with moving water[17, 27], usually in chalk or limestone areas[52]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
4 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 3 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| N. aquaticum[H]
N. nasturtium-aquaticum[G,P]
N. officinale var. siifolium[B,P]
N. officinalis[H]
Radicula nasturtium[G]
Radicula nasturtium-aquaticum[G]
Rorippa nasturtium[G]
Sisymbrium nasturtium[G]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Berro [E], Berros [E], Brooklime [H], Brown Cress [H], Cress [E], Cresson [E], Cresson D'Eau [E], Cresson De Fontaines [E], Cresson Des Jardins [E], Cresson Du Pays [E], Habb Ar Rashad [E], Hurf Al May [E], Nasturtium [E], Suteresi [E], Water Cresses [E], Water-cress [L], Watercress [H,B,P,E], Witte Waterkers [D], |
| Epithets: | From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets |
|
officinale = sold as an herb
|
| Systematics: | From a USDA Plants Database |
|
Order: Capparales. Renamed to Brassicaceae -- Mustard family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
Africa
Britain Dominican Republic France Haiti Hawaii Iraq Italy Mexico Spain Turkey Us Us(Appalachia) Venezuela
|
Physical Characteristics
Perennial growing to 0.5m by 1m . It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to October, and the seeds ripen from July to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees and flies.
The plant is self-fertile.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
We rate it 4/5 for edibility and
3/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
It cannot grow in the shade.
It requires wet soil and can grow in water.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Pond, Bog Garden.Edible Uses
Condiment
Leaves Seed.
Leaves - raw or cooked[2, 5, 7, 9, 16, 27]. Water cress is mainly used
as a garnish or as an addition to salads, the flavour is strong with a
characteristic hotness[183]. It has a reputation as a spring tonic, and this
is its main season of use, though it can be harvested for most of the year
and can give 10 pickings annually[238]. Some caution is advised if gathering
the plant from the wild, see the notes above on toxicity. The leaves are
exceptionally rich in vitamins and minerals, especially iron[200]. A
nutritional analysis is available[218].
The seed can be sprouted and eaten in salads[183]. A hot mustardy
flavour[K].
The seed is ground into a powder and used as a mustard[46, 183]. The
pungency of mustard develops when cold water is added to the ground-up seed -
an enzyme (myrosin) acts on a glycoside (sinigrin) to produce a sulphur
compound. The reaction takes 10 - 15 minutes. Mixing with hot water or
vinegar, or adding salt, inhibits the enzyme and produces a mild but bitter
mustard[238]. Composition
- Leaves (Fresh weight)
-
In grammes per 100g weight of food:
Water: 93.3
Calories: 19
Protein: 2.2
Fat: 0.3
Carbohydrate: 3
Fibre: 0.7
Ash: 1.2
In milligrammes per 100g weight of food:
Calcium: 151
Phosphorus: 54
Iron: 1.7
Sodium: 52
Potassium: 282
VitaminA: 2940
Thiamine: 0.08
Riboflavin: 0.16
Niacin: 0.9
VitaminC: 79
Source: [218]
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Antiscorbutic
Depurative Diuretic Expectorant Hypoglycaemic Odontalgic Purgative Stimulant Stomachic TB.
Watercress is very rich in vitamins and minerals, and has long been
valued as a food and medicinal plant[254]. Considered a cleansing herb, its
high content of vitamin C makes it a remedy that is particularly valuable for
chronic illnesses[254].
The leaves are antiscorbutic, depurative, diuretic, expectorant, purgative,
hypoglycaemic, odontalgic, stimulant and stomachic[4, 7, 9, 21, 46, 222,
238]. The plant has been used as a specific in the treatment of TB[4]. The
freshly pressed juice has been used internally and externally in the
treatment of chest and kidney complaints, chronic irritations and
inflammations of the skin etc[9]. Applied externally, it has a long-standing
reputation as an effective hair tonic, helping to promote the growth of thick
hair[244]. A poultice of the leaves is said to be an effective treatment for
healing glandular tumours or lymphatic swellings[244]. Some caution is
advised, excessive use of the plant can lead to stomach upsets[9, 21]. The
leaves can be harvested almost throughout the year and are used fresh[238].
Other Uses
Hair
Miscellany.
The juice of the plant is a nicotine solvent and is used as such on
strong tobaccos[7].
Cultivation details
Watercress is easily grown when given the correct conditions of slowly
flowing clean water, preferably coming from chalky or limestone soils[264].
It prefers to grow in water about 5cm deep[37] with an optimum pH 7.2[200].
Plants can be grown in wet soil if the position is somewhat shaded and
protection is given in winter, though the flavour may be hotter[27, 37].
Hardy to about -15° c[200].
Watercress is often cultivated for its edible leaves, there are some named
varieties[16, 183]. The plant is very sensitive to pollution so a clean
source of water is required[200]. Plants will often continue to grow all
through mild winters. A fast-growing plant, the stems trail along the ground
or float in water and produce new roots at the leaf nodes, thus making the
plant very easy to propagate vegetatively[238]. Unfortunately, virus diseases
have become more common in cultivated plants and so most propagation is
carried out by seed[264].
This is a diploid species. It has hybridised naturally in the wild with the
triploid species N. microphyllum to produce the sterile hybrid N. x sterilis
which is also commonly cultivated as a salad crop[264].
The flowers are a rich source of pollen and so are very attractive to
bees[7].
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a pot emmersed to half its depth in water.
Germination should take place within a couple of weeks. Prick out seedlings
into individual pots whilst they are still small and increase the depth of
water gradually until they are submerged. Plant out into a pond in the
summer.
Cuttings can be taken at any time in the growing season. Virtually any part
of the plant, including a single leaf, will form roots if detached from the
parent plant[56]. Just put it in a container of water until the roots are
well formed and then plant out in shallow water.
Cultivars
- 'Improved Broad-Leaved'
- This form has large, broad, oval leaves and a mildly pungent flavour[183].
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
PFAF Web Pages
This plant is mentioned in the following web pages
Web References
- Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [PHARM] Phytochemical Data
(common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
References for Nasturtium officinalis (a possible synonym).
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
References for Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum (a possible synonym).
References for nasturtium officinale (a possible synonym).
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[5] Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974 ISBN 0-00-219060-5
Edible wild plants found in Britain. Fairly comprehensive, very few pictures and rather optimistic on the desirability of some of the plants.
[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
[16] Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin 1977 ISBN 0-14-046-050-0
A good guide to growing vegetables in temperate areas, not entirely organic.
[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
[27] Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8
A reprint of a nineteenth century classic, giving details of vegetable varieties. Not really that informative though.
[37] Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878
Excellent general but extensive guide to gardening practices in the 19th century. A very good section on fruits and vegetables with many little known species.
[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[52] Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn 1980
A good and comprehensive guide to temperate salad plants, with full organic details of cultivation.
[56] Muhlberg. H. Complete Guide to Water Plants. E. P. Publishing Ltd. 1982 ISBN 0-7158-0789-7
Deals with a wide range of plants for temperate areas (and indoor aquaria) with quite a lot of information on cultivation techniques.
[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[244] Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990 ISBN 0-330-30725-8
Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.
[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
[264] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Vegetables Macmillan Reference Books, London. 1995 ISBN 0 333 62640 0
Excellent and easily read book with good information and an excellent collection of photos of vegetables from around the world, including many unusual species.
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