Herb: Watercress


Latin name: Nasturtium microphyllum


Synonyms: Rorippa microphylla


Family: Cruciferae



Medicinal use of Watercress:

Antiscorbutic, diuretic, expectorant, purgative, stimulant, stomachic. Use with caution.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
50 cm
(1 foot)

Habitat of the herb:

Stream margins, ditches, flushes etc with moving water, usually in chalk or limestone areas.

Edible parts of Watercress:

Leaves - raw or cooked. Exceptionally rich in vitamins and minerals, especially iron. The leaves are mainly used as a garnish or as an addition to salads, the flavour is strong with a characteristic hotness. The seed can be sprouted and eaten in salads. A hot flavour. The seed is ground into a powder and used as a mustard. The pungency of mustard develops when cold water is added to the ground-up seed - an enzyme (myrosin) acts on a glycoside (sinigrin) to produce a sulphur compound. The reaction takes 10 - 15 minutes. Mixing with hot water or vinegar, or adding salt, inhibits the enzyme and produces a mild but bitter mustard.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow spring in a pot emmersed to half its depth in water. Germination should take place within a couple of weeks. Prick out seedlings into individual pots whilst they are still small and increase the depth of water gradually until they are submerged. Plant out into a pond in the summer. Cuttings can be taken at any time in the growing season. Virtually any part of the plant, including a single leaf, will form roots if detached from the parent plant. Just put it in a container of water until the roots are well formed and then plant out in shallow water.

Cultivation of Watercress:

Stream margins, ditches, flushes etc with moving water, usually in chalk or limestone areas.

Known hazards of Nasturtium microphyllum:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.