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Watercress

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	Watercress
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	Topics Watercress Topic Home Watercresses (NasturtiumNasturtium (genus) *Nasturtium* is a genus of seven species in the Family Brassicaceae.... officinale, N. microphyllum; formerly Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum, R. microphylla) are fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plantPerennial plant A perennial plant or perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years.... s native from EuropeEurope Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth.... to central AsiaFacts About Asia Asia is the largest and most populous continent or region, depending on the definition.... , and one of the oldest known leaf vegetableLeaf vegetable Leaf vegetables, also called potherbs, greens, or leafy greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, som... s consumed by human beings. These plantPlant Plants are a major group of living things including familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, ferns, and mosses.... s are members of the Family BrassicaceaeBrassicaceae The flowering plant family Brassicaceae, also called Cruciferae, is known as the mustard family or cabbage fa... or cabbageCabbage The cabbage is a plant of the Family Brassicaceae .... family, botanically related to garden cressGarden cress Garden cress is a fast-growing, edible plant botanically related to watercress and mustard and sharing their peppery, tangy ... and mustardMustard plant The mustards are several plant species in the genus Brassica whose proverbially tiny mustard seeds are used as a spice a... — all noteworthy for a peppery, tangy flavour. The hollow stems of watercress are floating and the leaves are pinnately compound. Watercresses produce small white and green flowerFlower A flower,rflorem<flos), also known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found i... s in clusters. Nasturtium nasturtium-aquaticum (nomenclaturally invalid) and Sisymbrium nasturtium-aquaticum L. are synonyms of N. officinale. Nasturtium officinale var microphyllum (Boenn. ex Reich.) Thellung is a synonym of N. microphyllum (ITIS, 2004). These species are also listed in some sources as belonging to the genus, RorippaRorippa *Rorippa* is a flowering plant genus of some 80 species, including several plants previously placed in the genus, Nastur... , although molecular evidence shows that the aquatic species with hollow stems are more closely related to Cardamine than Rorippa (Al-Shehbaz & Price, 1998). Watercresses are not related to the flowers in the genus Tropaeolum (Family TropaeolaceaeTropaeolaceae Tropaeolaceae is a small family of three genera and about 80-90 species of soft, scrambling herbaceous plants.... ), popularly known as "nasturtiums". Watercress cultivation Cultivation of watercress is practical on both a large scale and a garden scale. Being semi-aquatic, watercress is well-suited to hydroponicHydroponics Hydroponics is crop production with mineral nutrient solutions instead of soil containing silt and clay.... cultivation, thriving best in water that is slightly alkaline. It is frequently produced around the headwaters of chalk streamChalk stream Chalk streams have characteristics which set them apart from watercourses associated with other rock types.... s. In many local markets the demand for hydroponically-grown watercress exceed supplies. This is due in part to the fact that cress leavesLeaf In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis.... are unsuitable for distribution in dried form and can only be stored for a short period. However (in the UK at least), the packaging used by supermarkets using sealed plastic bags under some internal pressure (a plastic envelope containing moisture and pressurised (inflated) to prevent crushing of contents) has allowed the distribution of watercress (and sometimes a mixture of it with other salad leaves). This has allowed national availability with a once purchased storage life of 1 - 2 days in chilled/refrigerated storage. If unharvested, watercress can grow to a height of 50-120 cm. Also sold as sproutsSprouting Summary Sprouting is the practice of soaking then draining and leaving seeds until they germinate and begin to sprout.... , the edible shoots are harvested days after germination. Like many plants in this family, the foliage of watercress becomes bitter when the plants begin producing flowers. New Market, AlabamaNew Market, Alabama New Market is a census-designated place in Madison County, Alabama, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Stati... is known as the "Watercress Capital of the World". Watercress is one of the main ingredients in V8 Vegetable JuiceV8 (beverage) V8® Vegetable Juice is a trademark name for a beverage made from the juices from either eight vegetables or a mixture of... . Watercress is often used in sandwiches, such as those made for afternoon teaTea (meal) Tea, means different things in different countries.... . Watercress is grown in a number of counties of the UK, most notably, Hertfordshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire and Dorset, although the first commercial cultivation was along the River Ebbsfleet in KentFacts About Kent Kent is a county in England, south-east of London.... . Alresford, near Winchester, is often considered the watercress capital of Britain (to the extent that a steam railway line is named after the famous local crop). In recent years, watercress has become more widely available in the UK, at least in the South-East, being stocked pre-packed in some supermarkets, as well as fresh by the bunch at farmers' markets and greengrocers. Value-added produce such as the traditional watercress soup, as well as watercress pesto are increasingly easy to source. Health benefits and cancer defense Watercress contains significant amounts of ironIron Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26.... , calciumCalcium Calcium is the chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Ca and atomic number 20.... and folic acidFolic acid Folic acid and folate are forms of a water-soluble B vitamin.... , in addition to vitamins AVitamin A Vitamin A is an essential human nutrient.... and CVitamin C Vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient and vitamin essential for life and for maintaining optimal health.... . In some regions watercress is regarded as a weedWeed A weed is often an unwanted, usually wild or feral, plant.... , in other regions as an aquaticAquatic plant manideepaAquatic plants — also called hydrophytic plants or hydrophytes — are plants that have adapt... vegetableVegetable Vegetable is a culinary term. Its definition has no scientific value and is somewhat arbitrary and subjective.... or herbHerb Herbs are plants grown for culinary, medicinal, or in some cases even spiritual value.... . Watercress crops grown in the presence of animalAnimal Overview Animals are a major group of organisms, classified as the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa.... wasteFacts About Waste Waste, rubbish, trash, or garbage is unwanted or undesired material.... can be a haven for parasites such as the liver flukeLiver fluke Liver flukes are a polyphyletic group of a trematodes.... Fasciola hepaticaFasciola hepatica Overview The *Fasciola hepatica, commonly known as the liver fluke, is a parasitic flatworm of the class Trematoda, phylum P... . Many benefits from eating watercress are claimed, such as that it acts as a mild stimulantStimulant A stimulant* is a drug that increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and produces a sense of euphoria or the ... , a source of phytochemicalPhytochemical Phytochemicals are sometimes referred to as phytonutrients; these terms are often used interchangeably.... s and antioxidantFacts About Antioxidant An antioxidant is a chemical that reduces the rate of particular oxidation reactions in a specific context, where oxidat... s, a diureticDiuretic A diuretic is any drug or herb that elevates the rate of bodily urine excretion .... , an expectorant, and a digestiveDigestive Digestive may refer to:Digestion... aid. It also appears to have cancerCancer Cancer* is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these cells to... -suppressing properties. It is widely believed to help defend against lung cancerLung cancer Lung cancer is a cancer of the lungs characterized by the presence of malignant tumours.... . See also (ITIS) - The Alresford Watercress Festival - The Watercress LineWatercress Line The Watercress Line is the marketing name of the Mid-Hants Railway, a heritage line in Hampshire, England, running 10 ... /Mid-Hants Railway