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common watercress, nasturtium, two-rowed water-cress, water cress

Habit Plants glabrous throughout or sparsely pubescent.
Stems

1–11(–20) dm.

Cauline leaves

petiole not winged, base auriculate;

blade 3–9(–13)-foliolate, (1–)2–15(–22) cm;

lateral leaflets sessile or petiolulate, rachis not winged, blade smaller than terminal;

terminal leaflet (or simple blade) suborbicular to ovate, or oblong to lanceolate, (0.4–)1–4(–5) cm × (3–)7–25(–40) mm, base obtuse, cuneate, or subcordate, margins entire or repand, apex obtuse.

Flowers

sepals 2–3.5 × 0.9–1.6 mm;

petals white or pink, spatulate or obovate, 2.8–4.5(–6) × 1.5–2.5 mm, (base to 1 mm), apex rounded;

filaments 2–3.5 mm;

anthers 0.6–1 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

divaricate or descending, straight or recurved, 5–17(–24) mm.

Fruits

(0.6–)1–1.8(–2.5) cm × (1.8–)2–2.5(–3) mm;

ovules (28–)36–60 per ovary;

style 0.5–1(–1.5) mm.

Seeds

biseriate, reddish brown, ovoid, (0.8–)0.9–1.1(–1.3) × (0.6–)0.7–0.9(–1) mm, coarsely reticulate with 25–50(–60) areolae on each side.

2n

= 32.

Nasturtium officinale

Phenology Flowering Feb–Sep.
Habitat Flowing streams, ditches, lake margins, swamps, marshes, seeps
Elevation 0-3000 m (0-9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; Europe; Asia; n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also elsewhere in the New World, tropical and s Africa, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 490.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Cardamineae > Nasturtium
Sibling taxa
N. floridanum, N. gambelii, N. microphyllum
Synonyms Sisymbrium nasturtium-aquaticum, Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum
Name authority W. T. Aiton: in W. Aiton and W. T. Aiton, Hortus Kew. 4: 110. (1812)
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