watercress

watercress,

hardy perennial European herb (Nasturtium officinale) of the family Cruciferae (or Brassicaceae; mustard family), widely naturalized in North America, found in or around water. Often cultivated commercially for the small, pungent leaflets, it is used as a peppery salad green or garnish. Other plants of the genus are sometimes called watercress and are used similarly. Watercress was formerly used as a domestic remedy and against scurvy. The ornamental plant whose common name is nasturtium is unrelated. Watercress is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Capparales (or Brassicales), family Cruciferae (or Brassicaceae).

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watercress

watercress

watercress

watercress

watercress

Strong superfood and medicine! White flowers and seedpods in spiral staircase formation. Flowers- 4 petals in shape of cross. (in mustard family- 4 petals with 6 stamens–4 tall and 2 short ) Seeds can be crushed and used as mustard. Almost always near water. Leaves resemble feather. Bean-like fruit. Wash and dry before eating to eliminate undesirable organisms from water environment. Fresh pressed juice used for tuberculosis, chest, lung, kidney, gland, lymph and chronic skin issues. For canker sores, mouth blisters, acne, ringworm, rashes, skin infections, hot flashes, headaches, nervousness, eczema, dermatitis, excellent for clearing fluids in body tissue like GOUT, clearing mucus and lung congestion, bronchitis, coughs, asthma, high blood pressure, hemorrhoids, rheumatism, chest congestion, ringworm, fungus, helps break up kidney and bladder stones, good for liver and kidney problems. Helps protect against heart disease and eye diseases like cataracts. Helps lighten freckles and brown spots when crushed and applied. Immune stimulant, antioxidant, increases energy, boosts metabolism, enhances oxygen utilization, cleanses blood and colon, diuretic, mild laxative, cancer prevention. Watercress is packed with 15 essential vitamins and minerals; A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, biotin, C, D, E, very high in sulfur, calcium, iodine, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, trace elements, vanadium, zinc, bioflavonoids. Weight for weight, it contains more vitamin C than oranges, more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach, more folic acid than bananas. The strong taste is from high sulfur content (beautifies skin and complexion), and a substance called phenylethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), which is able to block the function of a protein called Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF), which is needed for cancer to grow. Molecular biologists at Purdue University in Indiana discovered that watercress could actually correct its genetic code if inheriting from flawed parents, to grow normally again like its grandparents. The results, described by researchers as “spectacular,” defy the scientific law of inheritance and present the notion that the plant, unlike any other species, can effectively heal itself and maintain its pure ancestral blueprint. Another bitter plantaloe vera also heals itself. Imagine the power if you took both of these ! You can take any part of the plant, put it in a container of water and it will grow roots.

Edible Plant Guide © 2012 Markus Rothkranz

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Watercress

 

(Nasturtium officinale), a perennial herbaceous plant of the Cruciferae family. Its stem is thick, hollow, and 10-60 cm high; the lower part of the stem is decumbent and rooting. The leaves are pinnatisect, the blossoms are small and white, and the fruits are pods. Watercress grows near streams and irrigation ditches as well as in stagnant reservoirs and other moist places in Western Europe, North Africa, and Southwest Asia as far as India, in the USSR it is found in the central and southern zones of the European part, in the Caucasus, and in Middle Asia. The young shoots and leaves (and sometimes seeds) are used as a pungent seasoning and in salads. Watercress is cultivated in Western Europe and in the USA and other countries.

REFERENCE

Ipat’ev, A. N. Ovoshchnye rasteniia zemnogo shara. Minsk, 1966.

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Watercress

 

(Nasturtium), a genus of perennial plants of the family Cruciferae. The leaves are pinnatisect, the petals are small and white, and the fruit is a short pod. There are six species in the temperate zone of Eurasia (to Afghanistan and Central Asia), in North Africa, in the mountains of tropical Africa, and in North America. In the USSR there is one species, common watercress (N. officinale), an edible plant (the leaves contain vitamin C, carotin, and iodine).

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Watercress

 

(Rorippa), a genus of plants of the family Cruciferae. They are annual, biennial, or perennial grasses with pinnatisect or entire leaves. The petals are yellow. The fruit is a pod or a cilicle. There are about 70 species, found primarily in the temperate zone. In the USSR there are about ten species, growing in humid and marshy places and in sluggishly flowing water. Marsh cress (R. islandica) and yellow cress (R. amphibia) are quite common. The plants of the latter grow in water and are graphic examples of heterophylly.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

watercress

[′wȯd·ər‚kres]

(botany)

Nasturtium officinale. A perennial cress generally grown in flooded soil beds and used for salads and food garnishing.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

watercress

1. an Old World plant, Nasturtium officinale, of clear ponds and streams, having pungent leaves that are used in salads and as a garnish: family Brassicaceae (crucifers)

2. any of several similar or related plants

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005