Home/Species/ Watercress

Nasturtium officinale

Ait.

Watercress

GNRUnranked Found in 143 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

GNRUnrankedGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.154097

Element CodePDBRA270T0

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

IUCNLeast concern

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassDicotyledoneae

OrderCapparales

FamilyBrassicaceae

GenusNasturtium

Synonyms

Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum(L.) Hayek

Other Common Names

Cresson de fontaine (FR) watercress (EN)

Concept Reference

Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Taxonomic Comments

Treated as Nasturtium officinale by FNA (vol. 7, 2010). Treated as Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum by Kartesz (1994 checklist and 1999 floristic synthesis). As treated by Kartesz (1999), excludes as R. microphylla the plants sometimes treated as R. nasturtium-aquaticum var. longisiliqua, and excludes as R. x sterilis the plants sometimes called R. nasturtium-aquaticum var. sterilis. Generally acknowledged to be Eurasian, but considered native at one Alaskan site as well (cf. Hulten, Kartesz). For the Great Lakes region, Voss (Flora of Michigan) notes that early explorers, proceeding by canoe, did not find this plant, although it is now widely established.

Conservation Status

Review Date2000-01-17

Change Date1994-03-22

Edition Date2000-01-17

Edition AuthorsAnnable, C. (1993), rev. L. Morse (1996, 2000)

Rank Reasons

Status as a native plant not assessed; widely cultivated as a salad green (the garden watercress), and established (or often naturalized) in many fresh-water streams and springs throughout the world.

Range Extent Comments

Native to Europe [and possibly eastern Siberia and one hot-springs site in Alaska]; now found as an exotic throughout the temperate and subtropical regions of the world.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Streams, springs, marshes, lake margins; <2700 m.

Other Nations (2)

CanadaNNA

Province	Rank	Native
Quebec	SNA	No
Saskatchewan	SNA	No
Ontario	SNA	No
Alberta	SNA	No
Nova Scotia	SNA	No
New Brunswick	SNA	No
Manitoba	SNA	No
British Columbia	SNA	No

United StatesN1

Province	Rank	Native
Alaska	S1	Yes
Mississippi	SNA	No
Ohio	SNA	No
Rhode Island	SNA	No
Wisconsin	SNA	No
California	SNA	No
Georgia	SNA	No
Nebraska	SNA	No
New York	SNA	No
Vermont	SNA	No
District of Columbia	SNA	No
Missouri	SNA	No
New Jersey	SNA	No
Minnesota	SNA	No
Florida	SNA	No
Pennsylvania	SNA	No
Massachusetts	SNA	No
Colorado	SNA	No
Washington	SNA	No
Maryland	SNA	No
New Hampshire	SNA	No
Utah	SNA	No
North Dakota	SNA	No
Arizona	SNA	No
Indiana	SNA	No
Nevada	SNA	No
Idaho	SNA	No
Oklahoma	SNA	No
Illinois	SNA	No
South Dakota	SNA	No
Louisiana	SNA	No
Oregon	SNA	No
West Virginia	SNA	No
North Carolina	SNA	No
Kansas	SNA	No
Virginia	SNA	No
Wyoming	SNA	No
Delaware	SNA	No
Michigan	SNA	No
Alabama	SNA	No
Kentucky	SNA	No
Montana	SNA	No
Arkansas	SNA	No
Iowa	SNA	No
Connecticut	SNA	No
Maine	SNA	No
Tennessee	SNA	No
New Mexico	SNA	No
South Carolina	SNA	No
Texas	SNA	No

Plant Characteristics

Economic Value (Genus)Yes

Roadless Areas (143)

Arizona (8)

Area	Forest	Acres
Arnold Mesa	Prescott National Forest	12,286
Ash Creek	Prescott National Forest	7,663
Boulder	Tonto National Forest	40,359
Galiuro	Coronado National Forest	28,333
Lime Creek	Tonto National Forest	42,568
Lower San Francisco	Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests	59,310
Sierra Ancha Wilderness Contiguous	Tonto National Forest	7,787
Tumacacori	Coronado National Forest	44,594

California (68)

Area	Forest	Acres
Adams Peak	Plumas National Forest	5,283
Bald Mountain	Tahoe National Forest	5,832
Bear Mountain	Los Padres National Forest	913
Birch Creek	Inyo National Forest	28,816
Black Butte	Los Padres National Forest	5,116
Black Canyon	Inyo National Forest	32,421
Black Mtn.	Sequoia National Forest	15,102
Boundary Peak (CA)	Inyo National Forest	210,884
Cajon	San Bernardino National Forest	7,548
Caliente	Cleveland National Forest	5,953
Channell	Sequoia National Forest	45,429
Chico	Sequoia National Forest	39,836
Chips Creek	Lassen National Forest	29,089
Chips Creek	Plumas National Forest	12,940
Coldwater	Cleveland National Forest	8,402
Crystal Creek	San Bernardino National Forest	6,783
Cucamonga A	Angeles National Forest	1,249
Cucamonga B	San Bernardino National Forest	11,933
Cutca Valley	Cleveland National Forest	14,530
Domeland Add.	Sequoia National Forest	3,046
Eagle Peak	Cleveland National Forest	6,481
Fish Canyon	Angeles National Forest	29,886
Glass Mountain	Inyo National Forest	52,867
Granite Peak	San Bernardino National Forest	450
Greenhorn Creek	Sequoia National Forest	28,226
Hall Natural Area	Inyo National Forest	5,236
Hoover - North	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	1,574
Horse Mdw.	Inyo National Forest	5,687
Iceberg - Mill Creek	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	26,988
Ishi	Lassen National Forest	21,805
Juncal	Los Padres National Forest	12,289
Ladd	Cleveland National Forest	5,300
Log Cabin Saddlebag	Inyo National Forest	15,165
Magic Mountain	Angeles National Forest	15,542
Middle Fork	Plumas National Forest	29,278
Mill Creek	Sequoia National Forest	27,643
Mill Creek	Lassen National Forest	7,587
Moses	Sequoia National Forest	22,077
Mystic (CA)	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	836
No Name	Cleveland National Forest	4,897
Nordhoff	Los Padres National Forest	12,031
North Lake	Inyo National Forest	2,406
North Mountain	Stanislaus National Forest	7,856
Paiute	Inyo National Forest	58,712
Pine Creek	Cleveland National Forest	503
Pleasant View	Angeles National Forest	26,395
Raywood Flat B	San Bernardino National Forest	11,373
Red Mountain	Angeles National Forest	8,034
Rincon	Sequoia National Forest	54,610
San Gabriel Add	Angeles National Forest	2,527
Scodies	Sequoia National Forest	725
Sespe - Frazier	Los Padres National Forest	106,910
Sheep Mountain	Angeles National Forest	21,098
Sill Hill	Cleveland National Forest	5,294
Sinkard	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	2,004
Soldier Canyon	Inyo National Forest	40,589
Strawberry Peak	Angeles National Forest	7,245
Sugarloaf	San Bernardino National Forest	8,206
Table Mtn.	Inyo National Forest	4,215
Tequepis	Los Padres National Forest	9,080
Tinemaha	Inyo National Forest	27,060
Tom Martin	Klamath National Forest	9,031
Tule	Angeles National Forest	9,861
Westfork	Angeles National Forest	4,407
White Ledge	Los Padres National Forest	18,632
Wild Horse Mtn. (CA)	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	28,822
Wonoga Pk.	Inyo National Forest	11,272
Woodpecker	Sequoia National Forest	11,936

Idaho (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Italian Peak	Caribou-Targhee National Forest	141,158

Missouri (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Irish Rare II Study Area	Mark Twain National Forest	1,226

Montana (3)

Area	Forest	Acres
East Pioneer	Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest	145,082
Freezeout Mountain	Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest	97,305
Silver King	Lolo National Forest	12,816

Nevada (17)

Area	Forest	Acres
Arc Dome - Mahogany	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	4,208
Arc Dome - Secret Bsn	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	74,782
Aurora Crater	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	5,689
Black Spring	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	11,016
Bunker Hill	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	27,569
Georges Canyon	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	108,551
Mystic (NV)	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	5,644
Pearl Peak	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	71,405
Quinn	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	62,459
Rose - Evans	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	4,782
Ruby - South	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	13,195
Snake - Big Wash	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	4,146
Snake - Hatchery	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	4,627
South Schell	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	125,614
Table Mtn. - Barley Ck.	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	5,424
Table Mtn. - East	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	87,789
Toiyabe Range	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	99,225

New Mexico (11)

Area	Forest	Acres
Contiguous To Black & Aldo Leopold Wilderness	Gila National Forest	111,883
Contiguous To Gila Wilderness & Primitive Area	Gila National Forest	79,049
Gila Box	Gila National Forest	23,759
Holy Ghost	Santa Fe National Forest	2,352
Last Chance Canyon	Lincoln National Forest	8,934
Lower San Francisco	Gila National Forest	26,460
Meadow Creek	Gila National Forest	34,167
Ortega Peak	Lincoln National Forest	11,545
Pecos WS River	Santa Fe National Forest	5,396
Sawyers Peak	Gila National Forest	59,743
West Face Sacramento Mountains	Lincoln National Forest	41,176

North Carolina (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
Bald Mountain	Pisgah National Forest	11,085
Balsam Cone	Pisgah National Forest	10,591

Oregon (6)

Area	Forest	Acres
French Pete (a)	Willamette National Forest	1,668
Hebo 1a	Siuslaw National Forest	13,930
Larch	Mt. Hood National Forest	12,961
Mclennon Mountain	Willamette National Forest	8,085
North Kalmiopsis	Siskiyou National Forests	91,560
Pine Creek	Malheur National Forest	5,462

Tennessee (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Stone Mountain	Cherokee National Forest	5,367

Utah (21)

Area	Forest	Acres
418012	Uinta National Forest	25,758
418021	Uinta National Forest	6,255
418024	Uinta National Forest	51,699
418025	Uinta National Forest	32,698
418026	Uinta National Forest	14,038
418027	Uinta National Forest	13,884
418028	Uinta National Forest	34,002
418029	Uinta National Forest	15,673
Box - Death Hollow	Dixie National Forest	3,175
Joe Lott	Fishlake National Forest	19,826
Lone Peak Contiguous	Wasatch-Cache National Forest	874
Mt. Aire	Wasatch-Cache National Forest	9,681
Mt. Logan North	Wasatch-Cache National Forest	18,930
Mt. Naomi	Wasatch-Cache National Forest	41,922
Pavant	Fishlake National Forest	42,560
Right Hand Fork Logan	Wasatch-Cache National Forest	15,023
Stansbury Mountains	Wasatch-Cache National Forest	39,696
Stump Creek	Caribou National Forest	355
Temple Peak	Wasatch-Cache National Forest	24,081
Upper South Fork	Wasatch-Cache National Forest	16,811
Wellsville	Wasatch-Cache National Forest	1,717

Washington (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Glacier Peak B	Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest	19,328

Wyoming (3)

Area	Forest	Acres
Grayback Ridge	Bridger-Teton National Forest	295,113
Middle Fork	Shoshone National Forest	51,772
Monument Ridge	Bridger-Teton National Forest	17,720

References (7)

Fernald, M. L. 1950. Gray's manual of botany. 8th edition. Corrected printing (1970). D. Van Nostrand Company, New York. 1632 pp.
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2010. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 7. Magnoliophyta: Salicaceae to Brassicaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxii + 797 pp.
Hickman, J. C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. 1400 pp.
Hulten, E. 1968. Flora of Alaska and neighboring territories. Stanford Univ. Press, Palo Alto, CA. 1008 pp.
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Morse, Larry E. Personal Communication. North American Botanist, NatureServe, Arlington, VA. Formerly Chief Botanist, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA.
Scoggan, H.J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada: Parts 1-4. National Museums Canada, Ottawa. 1711 pp.