Watercress
| Watercress Nasturtium officinale |
|
|---|---|
.JPG) |
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| Nasturtium officinale | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Brassicales |
| Family: | Brassicaceae |
| Genus: | Nasturtium |
| Species: | N. officinale |
| Binomial name | |
|
Nasturtium officinale W.T. Aiton |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Synonymy
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| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 46 kJ (11 kcal) |
|
1.29 g
|
|
| Sugars | 0.2 g |
| Dietary fiber | 0.5 g |
|
0.1 g
|
|
|
2.3 g
|
|
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin A equiv. |
(20%)
160 μg
(18%)
1914 μg5767 μg
|
| Thiamine (B1) |
(8%)
0.09 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) |
(10%)
0.12 mg |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) |
(6%)
0.31 mg |
| Vitamin B6 |
(10%)
0.129 mg |
| Folate (B9) |
(2%)
9 μg |
| Vitamin C |
(52%)
43 mg |
| Vitamin E |
(7%)
1 mg |
| Vitamin K |
(238%)
250 μg |
| Minerals | |
| Calcium |
(12%)
120 mg |
| Iron |
(2%)
0.2 mg |
| Magnesium |
(6%)
21 mg |
| Manganese |
(12%)
0.244 mg |
| Phosphorus |
(9%)
60 mg |
| Potassium |
(7%)
330 mg |
| Sodium |
(3%)
41 mg |
|
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|
|
| Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database |
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Watercress is an aquatic plant species with the botanical name Nasturtium officinale. This should not be confused with the quite different group of plants with the common name of nasturtium, botanical name Tropaeolum.
Watercress is a rapidly growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plant native to Europe and Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by humans. It is currently a member of the family Brassicaceae, botanically related to garden cress, mustard, radish and wasabi—all noteworthy for their piquant flavor.
The hollow stems of watercress will float, the leaf structure is pinnately compound. Small, white and green flowers are produced in clusters and are frequently visited by insects, especially hoverflies such as Eristalis flies.
Watercress is also listed in some sources as belonging to the genus Rorippa, although molecular evidence shows the aquatic species with hollow stems are more closely related to Cardamine than Rorippa. Despite the Latin name, watercress is not particularly closely related to the flowers popularly known as nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus); T. majus belongs to the family Tropaeolaceae, a sister taxon to the Brassicaceae within the order Brassicales.
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 exceeds supply, partly because cress leaves are unsuitable for distribution in dried form, and can only be stored fresh for a short period.
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Wikipedia