Watercress

Nomenclature, Classification

Other Scientific Names

Rorippa Nasturtium aquaticum, Sisymbrium officionale

Other Common Names

Bilders: E-Anglia, Ireland. Brooklime: Bucks. Carpenters Chips: Gloucester. Cresse, Kerse: Somerset. Rib: E. Anglia. Tang Tounge: York. Tongue Grass, Water Grass: Ireland. Well Girse: Scotland. Kirse: Northumberland, Scotland.

Nomenclature

Nasturtium (Nas-tur-teeum)
nassus - tortus: a twisted nose (From pungent taste and smell)
officionale: Herbal use, sold in a herbal shop.

Other names
Sisymbrium: sis: sitting. umbrosis: in shade / umbrinus: brown/umber
Rorippa: bedewed, appearing as if covered in dew drops?
aquaticum: In water

Cultivars
microphyllum: small leafed
uniseratum: uni: union, together. seriatum: from a series, of a series.
sterilis: sterile

Classification

Kingdom: Eukaryota
Division: Spermatophyta
SubDivision: Angiospermae
Class: Dicotyledons
SubClass: Dilleniidae
Order: Capareles
Family: Cruciferae
Genus: Nasturtium

Classification History

Sisymbrium n.a Linneaus
Rorippa n.a (Linneaus) Hayek
N. microphyllum (Boeen) Reichneb
Rorippa micro (Boeen) Hyl
N. uniseratum Howard and Mounton

(L) Linnaeus, Carlos 1707-1778 Father Of Botany.
Hayek August, Austria 1871-1928.
Reichneb: Heinrich Gottileb Ludwig Reichenbach 1793-1879 Germany.

Officially Nasturtium officionale at last International Plant Nomenclature Congress, as it differs from Rorripa by its different coloured flowers and sence of nectar glands at base of enedian. Stamens, leaves more constantly pinnate.

Classificational Description

Cruciferae: Large Dicotyledenous family called Mustard or Brassicae. Members occur in the N.Temp latitudes and subartic. Has 3000 specie and 375 Genus. Mostly herbs, usually annual or perennial, rarely woody. Includes Brassica, Lunaria, Aubretia, Alyssum, Cherianthus, Arabis, Nasturtium.

Nasturtium: <50 species generic limitation not agreed upon. A perennial which grows in moist and wet places in temperate zones throughout Eurasia. Everywhere known as a salad plant, and widely cultivated. Flowers white/yellow.

Collated by James M. Burton as part of H.N.D. course at Pencoed
Agricultural College. Taxanomical information correct as of 06:06:97.