Watercress
Nasturtium microphyllum, a watercress
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Brassicales Family: Brassicaceae Genus: Nasturtium
Species
Nasturtium nasturtium-aquaticum L. Nasturtium microphyllum Boenn ex Rchb. Nasturtium microphyllum growing in an auwai on windward O‘ahu in Hawai‘i; photographed by Eric Guinther. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta—liverworts Anthocerotophyta—hornworts Bryophyta—mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) †Rhyniophyta—rhyniophytes †Zosterophyllophyta—zosterophylls Lycopodiophyta—clubmosses †Trimerophytophyta—trimerophytes Pteridophyta—ferns and horsetails Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta—seed ferns Pinophyta—conifers Cycadophyta—cycads Ginkgophyta—ginkgo Gnetophyta—gnetae Magnoliophyta—flowering plants... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants (also called angiosperms) are the dominant and most familiar group of land plants. ... Orders See text. ... Families See text. ... Genera See text. ... Species Nasturtium gambellii (S. Wats. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ...

Watercress (Nasturtium nasturtium-aquaticum, N. microphyllum, formerly Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum) are fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennials native from Europe to central Asia and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by human beings. These plants are members of the Family Brassicaceae or cabbage family, botanically related to garden cress and mustard — all noteworthy for a peppery, tangy flavor. Red Valerian, a perennial plant. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Fresh Swiss chard Fresh water spinach Creamed spinach Steamed kale Leaf vegetables, also called potherbs, greens, or leafy greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. ... Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta—liverworts Anthocerotophyta—hornworts Bryophyta—mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) †Rhyniophyta—rhyniophytes †Zosterophyllophyta—zosterophylls Lycopodiophyta—clubmosses †Trimerophytophyta—trimerophytes Pteridophyta—ferns and horsetails Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta—seed ferns Pinophyta—conifers Cycadophyta—cycads Ginkgophyta—ginkgo Gnetophyta—gnetae Magnoliophyta—flowering plants... Genera See text. ... Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... Binomial name Lepidium sativum L. Garden cress (Lepidium sativum) is a fast-growing, edible plant botanically related to watercress and mustard and sharing their peppery, tangy flavor and aroma. ... Species See text The mustards are several plant species in the genus Brassica whose proverbially tiny mustard seeds are used as a spice and, by grinding and mixing them with water, vinegar or other liquids, are turned into a condiment also known as mustard. ...

The stems of watercress are floating and the leaves are pinnately compound. Watercresses produce small, white and green flowers in clusters. A Phalaenopsis flower Rudbeckia fulgida A flower, (<Old French flo(u)r<Latin florem<flos), also known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also called angiosperms). ...

Nasturtium officinale Ait. f. and Sisymbrium nasturtium-aquaticum L. are synonyms of N. nasturtium-aquaticum. Nasturtium officinale var microphyllum (Boenn. ex Reich.) Thellung is a synonym of N. microphyllum (ITIS, 2004). These species are also listed in some sources as belonging to the genus, Rorippa, although molecular evidence shows that the aquatic species with hollow stems are more closely related to Cardamine than Rorippa (Al-Shehbaz & Price, 1998). Watercresses are not related to the flowers in the genus, Tropaeolum (Family Tropaeolaceae), popularly known as "nasturtiums". Species Rorippa alpina (S. Wats. ... Species About 80 species, including: Full List of Tropaeolum species * In older traditional systems placed in the Geraniales Nasturtium (literally nose-twister), as a common name, is a genus of about 80 species of annual and perennial herbaceous flowering plants Tropaeolum, one of three genera in the family Tropaeolaceae. ... Genera Magallana Tropaeastrum Tropaeolum * Older traditional systems placed it in the Geraniales Tropaeolaceae is a small family of three genera and about 80-90 species of soft, scrambling herbaceous plants. ... Species About 80 species, including: Full List of Tropaeolum species * In older traditional systems placed in the Geraniales Nasturtium (literally nose-twister), as a common name, is a genus of roughly 80 species of annual and perennial herbaceous flowering plants Tropaeolum, one of three genera in the family Tropaeolaceae. ...

Huntsville, Alabama is known as the "Watercress Capital of the World" Nickname: Coordinates: Country United States State Alabama County Madison, Limestone Government  - Mayor Loretta Spencer Area  - City 174. ...

Paul Brotherton is a well known expert of "Watercress" cooking. Watercress is one of the main ingredients in V8® Vegetable Juice. Watercress is often used in sandwiches, such as those made for afternoon tea. A V8 aluminum can and cup filled with this drink V8® Vegetable Juice is a trademark name for beverage products made from either eight vegetables or a mixture of both fruits and vegetables. ... Tea (the meal, as opposed to the beverage), means different things in different countries. ...

Watercress cultivation

Cultivation of watercress is practical on both a large scale and a garden scale. Being semi-aquatic, watercress is well-suited to hydroponic cultivation, thriving best in water that is slightly alkaline. It is frequently produced around the headwaters of chalk streams. In many local markets the demand for hydroponically-grown watercress exceed supplies. This is due in part to the fact that cress leaves are unsuitable for distribution in dried form and can only be stored for a short period. NASA researcher checking hydroponic onions with Bibb lettuce to his left and radishes to the right Example of Autotrophic Metabolism Hydroponics or hydroculture is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions instead of soil. ... The common (Arrhenius) definition of a base is a chemical compound that either donates hydroxide ions or absorbs hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. ... The River Bourne at Winterbourne Gunner, a typical chalk stream Chalk stream is a term generally applied to the winterbournes, streams and rivers of the Southern England Chalk Formation in Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Dorset, England although it could well be used for similar watercourses elsewhere. ... “Foliage” redirects here. ...

However (in the UK at least), the packaging used by supermarkets using sealed plastic bags under some internal pressure (a plastic envelope containing moisture and pressurised (inflated) to prevent crushing of contents) has allowed the distribution of watercress (and sometimes a mixture of it with other salad leaves). This has allowed national availability with a once purchased storage life of 1 - 2 days in chilled / refrigerated storage.

If unharvested, watercress can grow to a height of 50-120 cm. Also sold as sprouts, the edible shoots are harvested days after germination. Mixed bean sprouts Sprouting is the practice of soaking, draining, then rinsing at regular intervals seeds until they germinate and begin to sprout. ...

Like many plants in this family, the foliage of watercress becomes bitter when the plants begin producing flowers.

Nutritional value

Watercress contains significant amounts of iron, calcium and folic acid, in addition to vitamins A and C[1]. In some regions watercress is regarded as a weed, in other regions as an aquatic vegetable or herb. Where watercress is grown in the presence of animal waste, it can be a haven for parasites such as the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica^{[citation needed]}. General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Standard atomic weight 55. ... General Name, Symbol, Number calcium, Ca, 20 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 4, s Appearance silvery white Standard atomic weight 40. ... Folic acid and folate (the anion form) are forms of the water-soluble Vitamin B9. ... Retinol (Vitamin A) For the record label, see Vitamin Records A vitamin is an organic compound required in tiny amounts for essential metabolic reactions in a living organism. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Nymphaea alba, a species of water lily. ... A plate of vegetables Vegetable is a culinary term which generally refers to an edible part of a plant. ... Herbs: basil Herbs (IPA: hÉ™()b, or É™b; see pronunciation differences) are plants grown for any purpose other than food, wood or beauty. ... “Animalia” redirects here. ... Waste inside a wheelie bin Waste in a bin bag Waste, rubbish, trash, garbage, or junk is unwanted or undesired material. ... A parasite is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life in or on the living tissue of a host organism and which causes harm to the host without immediately killing it. ... Liver flukes are a polyphyletic group of a trematodes (a kind of flatworm). ... Binomial name Fasciola hepatica The Fasciola hepatica, commonly known as the liver fluke, is a parasitic flatworm of the class Trematoda, phylum Platyhelminthes that infects the hepatic bile ducts of sheep and cattle, sometimes also humans, causing fascioliasis also known as fasciolosis. ...

Many benefits from eating watercress are claimed, such as that it acts as a mild stimulant, a source of phytochemicals and antioxidants, a diuretic, an expectorant, and a digestive aid^{[citation needed]}. It also appears to have cancer-suppressing properties[2]. Stimulants are drugs that temporarily increase alertness and wakefulness. ... Phytochemicals are sometimes referred to as phytonutrients; these terms are often used interchangeably. ... Space-filling model of the antioxidant metabolite glutathione. ... A diuretic (colloquially called a water pill) is any drug or herb that elevates the rate of bodily urine excretion (diuresis). ... A cough medicine or antitussive is a medication given to people to help them stop coughing. ... Digestion is the process whereby a biological entity processes a substance, in order to chemically convert the substance into nutrients. ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ...

References

• Al-Shehbaz, I. and R. A. Price. 1998. Delimitation of the genus Nasturtium (Brassicaceae). Novon, 8: 124-126.
• Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum (ITIS)