Watercress

Nasturtium officinale W. T. Aiton

Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

▲▼ mature, flowering plants

▲ young plants

Watercress:  (not in Weeds of the Great Plains, nor Weeds of the Northeast)

·         a rooted floating to rooting emergent to sometimes floating creeping perennial from Europe

·         leaves are dark-green, pinnately lobed

·         flowers are tiny, in small terminal racemes

·         prefers cool, well-aerated, slow-moving  water with silty bottoms, but can spread fairly rapidly

·         leaves are edible as a salad green or garnish