Nasturtium

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Orthokaryota
Cladus: Neokaryota
Cladus: Photokaryota
Cladus: Diaphoretickes
Cladus: CAM
Regnum*: Archaeplastida
Regnum: Plantae
Regnum*: Viridiplantae
Cladus: Streptophyta
Cladus: Phragmoplastophyta
Cladus: Embryophyta
Cladus: Polysporangiophyta
Divisio*: Tracheophyta
Cladus: Eutracheophyta
Cladus: Euphyllophytina
Cladus: Megaphylla
Cladus: Radiatopses
Cladus: Lignophyta
Cladus: Metalignophyta
Diviso*: Spermatophyta
Classis*: Angiospermae
Cladus: Mesangiospermae
Cladus: Eudicota
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids II
Ordo: Brassicales

Familia: Brassicaceae
Subfamilia: Brassicoideae
Tribus: Cardamineae
Genus: Nasturtium
Species: N. africanum – N. floridanum – N. gambellii – N. microphyllum – N. officinale
Nothospecies: N. × sterile
Name

Nasturtium W.T.Aiton, Hortus Kew. 4: 109 (1812), nom. et typ. cons.

Type species: Nasturtium officinale W.T.Aiton, Hortus Kew. 4: 110 (1812).

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Cardaminum Moench, Methodus: 262 (1794), nom. rej.
Baeumerta G.Gaertn., B.Mey. & Scherb., Oekon. Fl. Wetterau 2: 419 (1800), nom. superfl.
Dictyosperma Regel, Izv. Imp. Obshch. Lyubit. Estestv. Moskovsk. Univ. 34(2): 5 (1882), nom. illeg. non H.Wendl. & Drude (1875)
Pirea T.Durand, Index Gen. Phan.: 494 (1888), nom. rej.
Coronopus Zinn
Cotyliscus Desv.
Discovium Raf.
Hymenophysa C.A. Mey.
Lepia Desv. (1815), not Hill (1759)
Monoploca Bunge
Nasturtiolum Medik.
Physolepidium Schrenk
Senebiera DC.
Stubendorffia Schren

Homonyms

Nasturtium Mill., Gard. Dict. Abr. (ed. 4) (1754).
Nasturtium Adans., Fam. Pl. 2: 421 (1763).
Nasturtium Roth, Tent. Fl. Germ. 1: 281 (1788).

References
Primary references

Aiton, W.T. 1812. Hortus Kewensis; or, a Catalogue of the Plants Cultivated in the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew. 2nd Edn., Vol. IV. iii + 532 pp., Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, London. BHL. Reference page.

Additional references

Al-Shehbaz, I.A. & Price, R.A. 1998. Delimitation of the genus Nasturtium (Brassicaceae). Novon 8: 124–126.

Links

Koch, M.A. et al. 2019. Nasturtium in BrassiBase Tools and biological resources to study characters and traits in the Brassicaceae. Published online. Accessed: 2019 May 29.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Nasturtium. Published online. Accessed: May 29 2019. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Nasturtium in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2019 May 29. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2019. Nasturtium. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 29 May 2019.

Vernacular names
العربية: قرة
azərbaycanca: Acıqıjı
беларуская: Кустоўнік
čeština: potočnice
dansk: Brøndkarse
Deutsch: Brunnenkressen
suomi: Vesikrassit
Gaeilge: Gleorán
hornjoserbsce: Ropucha
հայերեն: Ջրկոտեմ
қазақша: Сарыбасша
lietuvių: Rėžiukas
Diné bizaad: Táłkááʼ dah yikał
polski: Rukiew
русский: Жеруха
slovenčina: potočnica
svenska: Källfränen
тоҷикӣ: Лодан
lea faka-Tonga: ʻAtono
中文: 豆瓣菜屬

Nasturtium (/nəˈstɜːrʃəm/) is a genus of a small number of plant species in the family Brassicaceae (cabbage family) commonly known as watercress or yellowcress.[2] The best known species are the edible Nasturtium officinale and Nasturtium microphyllum. Nasturtium was previously synonymised with Rorippa, but molecular evidence supports its maintenance as a distinct genus more closely related to Cardamine than to Rorippa sensu stricto.[3][4]

These plants are related to garden cress and mustard, noteworthy for a peppery, tangy (pungent) flavor. The name Nasturtium comes from the Latin nasus tortus, meaning "twisted nose", in reference to the effect on the nasal passages of eating the plants. Nasturtium foliage is used as food by the caterpillars of certain Lepidoptera, including Orthonama obstipata (The Gem).

One species, Nasturtium gambellii, is federally listed in California as an endangered species.[5]
Nomenclature

The genus Nasturtium should not be confused with the ornamental garden plant, usually grown as an annual, that is commonly known as nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus). Though not closely related, the leaves of the garden nasturtium also have a peppery taste.
Species

As of June 2022, Plants of the World Online accepts the following species and hybrids:[1]

Nasturtium floridanum (Al-Shehbaz & Rollins) Al-Shehbaz & R.A.Price – Florida watercress or Florida yellowcress
Nasturtium gambellii (S.Watson) O.E.Schulz (orth. var. N. gambelii) – Gambel's watercress or Gambel's yellowcress
Nasturtium microphyllum (Boenn.) Rchb. – onerow watercress or onerow yellowcress
Nasturtium officinale W.T.Aiton – watercress or yellowcress
Nasturtium × sterile (Airy Shaw) Oefelein – N. officinale × N. microphyllum, hybrid watercress[6]

Plants of the World Online regards Nasturtium africanum as a synonym of Rorippa africana.[7]
References

"Nasturtium W.T.Aiton". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
NRCS. "Nasturtium". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 18 July 2015.
Al-Shehbaz, I. A.; Price, R. A. (1998). "Delimitation of the genus Nasturtium (Brassicaceae)]". Novon. 8 (2): 124–126. doi:10.2307/3391978. JSTOR 3391978.
Al-Shehbaz, I. A.; Beilstein, M. A.; Kellogg, E. A. (2006). "Systematics and phylogeny of the Brassicaceae (Cruciferae): an overview". Plant Systematics and Evolution. 259 (2–4): 89–120. doi:10.1007/s00606-006-0415-z. S2CID 21816920.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (September 2011). "Rorippa gambellii [Nasturtium gambelii] (Gambel's watercress) 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation" (PDF). Retrieved 27 March 2020.
Stace, Clive A. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles (4th ed.). Middlewood Green, Suffolk: C & M Floristics. p. 423. ISBN 978-1-5272-2630-2.
"Nasturtium africanum Braun-Blanq". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2022-06-21.