Marsh watercress
Rorippa palustris
Family: Brassicaceae
What it is like
A cabbage family herb. It is a small cress plant. It can grow from seed each year or or take 2 years to complete its life cycle. It is a herb up to 1 m high. The leaves are crinkled and have deep lobes. The flowers are yellow. The pods are short and less than 1 cm.
There are about 70 Rorippa species.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows in marshlands, pastures, meadows, roadsides, shores of lakes and ponds, streamsides, thickets, grasslands; near sea level to 4000 m in China. In Papua New Guinea it grows from 2000 to 2700 m altitude. In Argentina it grows between 100-1,600 m above sea level. It is more common in ditches and near swamps and creeks. Tasmania Herbarium. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Afghanistan, Alaska, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, Central Asia, Chile, China, Denmark, Europe, Guianas, Himalayas, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Luxembourg, Manchuria, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, North America, Northeastern India, Norway, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Scandinavia, Sikkim, South America, Suriname, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, South America, USA, Tibet
How it is used for food
The young shoots are eaten. The leaves have a peppery taste. The leaves are cooked and eaten.
A self sown plant in high altitude areas of Papua New Guinea and used as a minor edible green.
Edible parts
Leaves
How it is grown
It is mostly self sown from seed. Seed can be sown onto waterlogged and nurtient-rich soil.
Leaves are available all year round.
Its other names
Local names
Bronnkarse, Poniu, Yellow cress, Yellow marsh grass, Zhao sheng han cai
Synonyms
Rorippa islandica Oed.; Sisymbrium amphibium Linnaeus var. palustre L; Cardamine palustre (Linnaeus) Kuntze; Nasturtium densiflorum Turczaninow; Nasturtium palustre (Linnaeus) de Candolle; Nasturtium palustre f. longipes Franchet; Nasturtium palustre f. stoloniferum Franchet; Radicula palustris;