Knowra Watercress Watercress Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is an aquatic or semi-aquatic plant with edible, peppery leaves. It grows naturally in cool, flowing water and is also cultivated as a leafy vegetable.
Brassicaceae : The mustard family of flowering plants, including cabbages, radishes, and many pungent herbs. Watercress belongs to this family, whose characteristic flavors often come from mustard oils.
Hydrophyte : A plant adapted to growing in water or persistently waterlogged soil. Watercress is a hydrophyte that tolerates conditions unsuitable for most garden vegetables.
Watercress soup : A soup made with watercress, often blended with stock, potatoes, or cream. Cooking softens watercress's pungency while preserving its role as the main ingredient.
Nasturtium officinale : The botanical species commonly called watercress, a perennial plant of wet habitats. This is the cultivated and wild species meant by the name watercress.
Aquatic plant : A plant adapted to grow partly or wholly in water. Watercress is adapted to saturated habitats and can grow with submerged stems.
Adventitious root : A root that develops from a stem or another plant part rather than from the primary root. Watercress stems can form roots at nodes, helping shoots establish in wet sites.
Salad : A dish of raw or cooked ingredients, commonly including leafy vegetables. Raw watercress is often used as a peppery salad green.
Garden cress : Lepidium sativum, an edible cress grown on land for its pungent leaves and seeds. It shares watercress's peppery flavor but is a different species adapted to drier cultivation.
Glucosinolate : A sulfur-containing plant compound that can yield pungent products when broken down by enzymes. Glucosinolates help give damaged watercress leaves their sharp, peppery flavor.
Vegetative reproduction : Asexual reproduction in plants through structures such as stems, roots, or leaves. Fragments of watercress stems can root and produce new plants.
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