English name Cress, Watercress
Alias watercress, water mustard Watercress
Scientific name Nasturtium officinale R.Br.
Family Cruciferae Watercress
Watercress is an aquatic perennial in the Cruciferae family. It is a perennial aquatic plant of the family Cruciferae. Native to Europe, it was introduced to China by Portugal in the 19th century, and there are wild varieties in many parts of China, India and Southeast Asia. China to Guangzhou, Shantou area and Guangxi cultivated more. In recent years, the northern region and the introduction of high-quality varieties of large leaves from Europe, the use of dryland planting or soilless cultivation, has been the larger two accumulations of development and utilization of its tender stems and leaves edible, pungent odor.
The bean curd plant is about 30 centimeters high, creeping or semi-prostrate clumping stems round, solid in the young, hollow after growing old, green, with most of the nodes; each section can occur branching and fibrous roots, the fibrous roots of the moist environment that is the elongation of growth. Leaves alternate, one per node, odd pinnately compound, leaflets 1 to 4 pairs, ovate or suborbicular, apical leaflets are larger, dark green, turning dark purple at low temperatures. Racemes of tiny, bisexual flowers with white corollas. The pods contain 30-40 seeds, which are tiny, flat-ellipsoid, yellow-brown, weighing about 0.25 grams per thousand, and 580 grams of seeds per liter. The germination power can last for 5 years.
Morphological features
Perennial aquatic herb. The whole plant is glabrous and much branched. Stem height 20～40cm., hollow, submerged stem creeping, nodes rooting, multi-branching. Oddly pinnately compound leaves alternate; leaflets 3-7, dark green, leaves pinnately parted, ovate or broadly ovate, about 6cm, apical lobes large, lateral lobes small, oblong, margin with a few undulate teeth or entire, long-stalked. Racemes terminal, sepals oblong; petals white. Long-horned fruit columnar, flattened, with a short beak. Seeds numerous, in two rows, ovate, maroon. Flowering and fruiting from March to August.
Growth habit
Prefer cool, avoid high temperature, grow well in the temperature range of 15 to 25 ℃, when the temperature exceeds 30 ℃, the growth of the plant is affected. Frost-resistant, but at this time the leaves are easy to fall off.
Garden use is suitable for open field cultivation, for poolside, streamside landscaping materials, can also be potted ornamental. Mainly used for garden water features edge and shallow water green or cover.
Propagation and cultivation
Mostly asexual propagation, for the division of plants and cuttings propagation. Node rooting, fast survival. Plug planting plant spacing 6cm × 9cm, one month later, the seedling growth of 15 ~ 20cm, when the stalks are thick and strong, can be divided and planted. After planting, maintain a certain water level or humid state, in order to facilitate germination and rooting. If the temperature exceeds 30 ℃, you need to pour cool water in the afternoon to avoid scalding the shoots. After the plant grows up, the water level can be deepened according to the requirements of landscaping. In the growing season, weeds should be removed in a timely manner, and combined with weeding to apply fertilizer 1 to 2 times.