Perennial Forbs Around Las Vegas, Vegetation Around Las Vegas
 Watercress in an old stock pond |
General: Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is a perennial forb that grows in the water and spreads across wet ground. The leaves are pinnately compound with 6-8 lateral leaflets plus one leaflet at the tip. Upright flowering stalks are produced with clusters of white, 4-petaled flowers at the top. Fruits (seedpod) are elongate, cylindrical, and unsegmented. Watercress is a fairly common component of wet vegetation communities at all elevations in the desert, ranging from the Lower Sonoran (Creosote-Bursage Flats) to the Hudsonian (Bristlecone Pine Forest) life zones. Native to Eurasia, Watercress is non-native and considered to be an invasive weed in some areas. Around Las Vegas, look for Watercress along steams and around ponds throughout the region. Family: Mustard (Brassicaceae). Water Cress. Also known by the scientific names Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum, Nasturtium nasturtium-aquaticum, Sisymbrium nasturtium-aquaticum. According to Wikipedia: Leaves, stems, and fruit can be eaten raw, but cultivated plants have the advantage of being free of liver flukes. |
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 Springtime in a small creek |
 Young leaves oval, entire |
 Older leaves compound with 6-8 lateral leaflets |
 Older leaves compound with 6-8 lateral leaflets |
 Older leaves compound with 6-8 lateral leaflets and a terminal leaflet |
 Older leaves compound with 6-8 lateral leaflets and a terminal leaflet |
 Flowers with four petals, white |
 Flowers with four petals, white |
 Flowers and developing seedpods |
 Flowers and developing seedpods |
 Flowers and developing seedpods eventually stand above the leaves |
 Flowers and developing seedpods eventually stand above the leaves |
 Flowers and developing seedpod |
 Flowers and developing seedpod |
 Seedpods |
 Seedpods |
 Seedpods develop as more flowers are produced at the growing tip |
 More to come ... |
Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate. Names generally follow the USDA database.
; Last updated 240622
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