Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets Nasturtium officinale

Edible: Leaves, Seeds, Herb, Spice, Vegetable

A cabbage family herb. It is a small leafy plant that grows in water and lasts for several years. It grows 30 cm high and has runners 2.5 m long. It has hollow stems and roots freely from the nodes. It branches freely. The leaves consist of 3 to 7 pairs of small leaflets then a larger leaflet at the end. The flowers are small and white and grow grow in a cluster. Flowers are not always produced and need days with more than 12 hours of sunlight to form. A small narrow curved seed pod about 2 cm long can develop. It grows attached to the banks of streams.

This is a temperate climate crop. It is common in tropical highland creeks especially those flowing off limestone hills. (pH 6.5-7.5) It needs to be in running water. In the tropics it occurs from about 1000 m up to at least 2900 m altitude. It grows in streams, ditches, lakes, swamps, marshes from near sea level to 3700 m altitude in China. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 4,100 m above sea level. It grows in wetlands. It suits plant hardiness zones 6-10. Tasmania Herbarium. In Yunnan. In Sichuan.

Common Names: Watercress, Acice, Agriaun, Agriao, Awa, Berro, Berro de agua, Berros, Brunnenhresse, Chu-lba-thpu, Chungol, Ciotole, Credou, Creisoun, Creixens, Crescione acquatico, Cresson de fontaine, Dou ban cai, Gerdeme, Gernounej, Gurnounch, Huwaireh, Ip komp, Kalanso, Kambere, Kapisi vai, Kenchi, Kiji, Kizmase, Komba, Kreson, Kuwmba, Kuzala, Kuzele, Lauridde, Lira, Lut-putiah, Mizu garashi, Ok 'oruro, Ota karesi, Pakimbita, Pa nan, Phak nam, Piriya halim, Qije, Sai yeung ts'oi, Salada air, Salada chai, Salade, Sawade, Sayur paret, Selada ayer, Selada sawah, Shimrayo, Shuicai, Silang-sag, Sim rayo, Sim sag, Su teresi, Talib shah, Talmera, Talmira, Tara mira, Tarmera, Taung-kya-gale, Termera, Tharmere, Tujik, Tusmask, Tuzik, Uotakuresu, Waci, Wakari, Xa lach xong, Xi yang cai, Ye qing cai

Synonyms: 

Arabis nasturtium Clairv.;
Baeumerta nasturtium P. Gaertn., B. Mey. & Schreb.;
Cardamine aquatica (Garsault) Nieuwl.;
Cardamine fontana Lam.;
Cardamine nasturtium-aquaticum (L.) Borbas;
Nasturtium nasturtium-aquaticum (L.) H. Karst., nom. inval.;
Nasturtium officinale R. Br.;
Radicula nasturtium Cav., nom. illeg.;
Radicula nasturtium-aquaticum (L.) Rendle & Britten;
Rorippa nasturtium Beck, nom. illeg.;
Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum (L.) Hayek;
Rorippa officinale (R. Br.) P. Royen;
Sisymbrium nasturtium Thunb., nom. illeg.;
Sisymbrium nasturtium-aquaticum L.;