Nasturtium officinale R. Br. in Aiton, Hort. Kew. ed. 2, 4: 110. 1812; Hook. f. & T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 133. 1872. Sisymbrium nasturtium-aquaticum L., Sp. Pl. 657. 1753. Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum (L.) Hayek, Sched. Fl. Stir. Exs. 3-4: 22. 1905.

Eng.: Water-cress.

Herbs, perennial; stems much-branched, creeping or floating, rooting below at nodes, usually up to 40 cm long, rarely up to 100 cm long. Leaves lyrate-pinnate, 1 - 12 cm long; lower with 1 - 7 leaflets, petioled; upper with 5 - 9 leaflets; terminal leaflets suborbicular or broadly ovate-cordate, acute or obtuse, 5 - 20 x 5 - 15 mm; lateral leaflets elliptic, entire or sinuate-toothed, 3 - 20 x 2 - 10 mm. Racemes 5 - 20-flowered, 4 - 10 cm long. Flowers ca 3 mm across, white; pedicels up to 1 cm long in fruit. Sepals oblong, 1 - 2 mm long, ca 1 mm wide. Petals obovate, 3 - 5 mm long, ca 2 mm wide. Stamens 6, ca 3 mm long. Fruits spreading, slightly upcurved, 0.8 - 2.5 cm long, on 6 - 12 mm long pedicels. Seeds 2-seriate, ovoid-rounded, lenticular, 0.7 - 1 x 0.5 mm, red, muriculate.

Fl. & Fr. March - July.

Distrib. India: Throughout, up to 3000 m, mostly along water courses.

Temperate and subtropical Africa, Asia and Europe.

Notes. Eaten as salad.