General: Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is a perennial forb that grows in the water and spreads across wet ground. The leaves are compound with 6-8 lateral leafless. Upright flowering stalks are produced with clusters of white, 4-petaled flowers at the top.

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. Watercress is also known by the scientific names Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum, Nasturtium nasturtium-aquaticum, Sisymbrium nasturtium-aquaticum.

Around Las Vegas, look for Watercress along steams and around ponds throughout the region.

Family: Mustard (Brassicaceae)