The Nasturtium
by Robert Bales
Title
The Nasturtium
Artist
Robert Bales
Medium
Photograph - Photo
Description
One of the beautiful flowers on our back deck in Emmett, Idaho.
Nasturtium (/nəˈstɜːrʃəm/) is a genus of seven plant species in the family Brassicaceae (cabbage family), best known for the edible watercresses Nasturtium microphyllum (Rorippa microphylla) and Nasturtium officinale (R. nasturtium-aquaticum). 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 (Al-Shehbaz & Price, 1998; Al-Shehbaz, Beilstein & Kellogg, 2006). Watercress or yellowcress is a common name for plants in this genus.
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 a federally listed in California as an endangered species in the United States
Uploaded
September 16th, 2020
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