General: Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) are perennial plants of small ponds, streams, and marshy areas. The stems are hollow, so the plant floats on the surface of the water. The leaves are compound, with each leaflet looking like a small, round leaf. The 4-petaled flowers are white.
Around Las Vegas, look for this species in wet places in the Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub and Pinyon-Juniper Woodland) life zones. White Rock Spring often has watercress.
Family: Mustard (Brassicaceae).
Other Names: Nasturtium nasturtium-aquaticum, Nasturtium officinale var. siifolium, Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum, Sisymbrium nasturtium-aquaticum
Plant Form: Perennial forb. Floating, leafy, wetland plant.
Height: To a few inches high, but spread widely on the surface of the water or on mud. |