Watercress, real

Authors: Prof. Dr. med. Peter Altmeyer, Prof. Dr. med. Martina Bacharach-Buhles

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Last updated on: 06.01.2024

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Synonym(s)

Cresson de fontaines; officinal nasturtium; water-cress; Watercress

Definition
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Nasturtium officinale, also known as true watercress or water cress, is a plant species from the genus Nasturtium (watercress) of the Brassicaceae (cruciferous family) used as a vegetable.

Nasturtium officinale is a perennial, winter-green plant that grows in marshy or watery areas. It has hollow, round stems that grow between 15 and 90 cm long; its roundish root leaves sprout at the lower end. The small, grass-green leaves usually consist of two to four pairs of leaflets.
Watercress bears white to purple racemose inflorescences. The flowering period is from May to July. The pods of the plant are 8 to 20 mm long and 2 to 3 mm wide and contain up to 60 seeds. They ripen from September to October.

The fresh or dried herb, Nasturtii herba, is used phytotherapeutically.

Ingredient(s)
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The main active ingredients are mustard oil glycosides.

Note(s)
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Nasturtium officinale is the parent plant of Nasturtii herba, a component of the ready-to-use preparation Angocin® Antiinfekt, see also under Horseradish

Incoming links (1)

Nasturtii herba;

Outgoing links (1)

Dreadlocks herba;