Nasturtium officinale, True Water-Cress,
Hebrew: גרגיר הנחלים, Arabic:(رشاد ماء (جرجير مائي

Scientific name:  Nasturtium officinale R.Br.
Common name:  True Water-Cress
Hebrew name:   גרגיר הנחלים
Arabic name:  (رشاد ماء (جرجير مائي
Family:  Cruciferae / Brassicaceae, מצליבים

Israel Flora, send flowers

Life form:  Hemicryptophyte
Stems:  Up to 60cm long, erect to ascending or creeping, hollow, juicy, much branched, with roots on stem nodes; glabrous, fistulose
Leaves:  Alternate, rosette, dissected, dentate or serrate
Inflorescence:  Terminal raceme
Flowers:  4 white petals
Fruits / pods:  Siliques, 1.3-1.8cm long, terete, glabrous; seeds, spherical, dark red-brown, reticulate
Flowering Period:  February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September
Habitat:  Riparian, humid habitats
Distribution:  Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Deserts and extreme deserts, Montane vegetation of Mt. Hermon
Chorotype:   Plurireginalbor-trop
Summer shedding:  Ephemeral

Nasturtium officinale, True Water-Cress, גרגיר הנחלים


Derivation of the botanical name:
Nasturtium, Latin nasi tortium, a twisted nose, due to the plant's pungent taste.
officinale, , officina, herb pharmacy; alias, of or pertaining to; sold as an herb; medicinal.
The Hebrew name: גרגיר, gargir, Aramaic-Syrian: גרגירא, gargira ( = cress); Akkadian: gingiru, Arab, jarjir ( = water cress).
  • The standard author abbreviation R.Br. is used to indicate Robert Brown (1773 – 1858), a Scottish botanist.

Nasturtium officinale, True Water-Cress, גרגיר הנחלים