Nasturtium (genus)
Watercress (Nasturtium aquaticum )
The fountain cress (Nasturtium ) are a genus of flowering plants in the family of cruciferous plants (Brassicaceae ).
Features
The representatives of the fountain cress are perennial, herbaceous plants. The shoots are bald or wear a few simple hair. The stems creep on the ground and are mostly bare and hollow. The leaf blades are entire, pinnatifid or possess blunt, large under 3 inches pinnae. They are more or less hairy.
The inner sepals are out bags. The petals are white, pale purple, in rare cases, and always about 1 centimeter long. The anthers are yellow. The pods are short and linear. The flaps have a vague middle vein. The stylus is short, the stigma is capitate or slightly bilobed. The seeds are in one or two rows.
Dissemination
The species of the genus are widespread in Europe, North Africa, Asia and North and Central America.
System
The genus Nasturtium in 1812, erected by William Townsend Aiton in the second edition of Hortus Kewensis, Volume 4, page 109-110. A synonym is Cardaminum Moench.
The genus is placed within the cruciferous vegetables in the tribe Cardamineae. It consists of about five species; the two occurring in Central Europe species are:
- Watercress (Nasturtium officinale (L.) WTAiton, Syn: nasturtium - aquaticum L. Sisymbrium, Rorippa nasturtium - aquaticum (L.) Hayek ): The original distribution area is located in Europe, North Africa and Asia. Today it is widespread as a neophyte almost worldwide.
- Small-leaved watercress (Nasturtium microphyllum Boenn ex Rchb, Syn: .. Nasturtium uniseriatum HWHoward & Manton, Rorippa microphylla ( Boenn. ex Rchb ) H.Hyl. . ): The original home is Europe, North Africa and southwestern Asia. As a neophyte they colonized America and Australia among others.
A naturally occurring hybrids of the two species is the bastard watercress or barren watercress (Nasturtium x sterile ( Airy Shaw) Oefelein, Syn: Rorippa × sterilis Airy Shaw).
The other types are:
- Nasturtium africanum brown Blanq. ( Syn: Nasturtium mesatlanticum OESchulz, Rorippa africana ( Braun-Blanq. ) Maire ): The home is Morocco.
- Nasturtium floridanum (Al- Shehbaz & Rollins ) Al- Shehbaz & RAPrice ( Syn: Cardamine curvisiliqua Shuttlew ex Chapm, Rorippa floridana Al- Shehbaz & Rollins. . ): The home is Florida.
- Nasturtium gambelii ( S.Watson ) OESchulz ( Syn: Cardamine gambelii S.Watson, Rorippa gambelii ( S.Watson ) Rollins & Al- Shehbaz ): The home is California, Mexico and Guatemala.
Swell
- Details for: Nasturtium. In: The Euro Med Plant Base - the information resource for Euro - Mediterranean plant diversity. Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin- Dahlem, January, accessed on 11 February 2012 (English, from K. Marhold: Brassicaceae (2011) ).