Rorippa madagascariensis

(DC.) Hara

African cress, Nigerian watercress

Brassicaceae Edible: Vegetable 2 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A herb. It grows from seeds each year. It has a fine taproot. The leaves are in a ring. They have lobes and are divided. They are 3-11 cm long by 2 cm wide. The segments are in 4-6 pairs. There can be rounded teeth along the edge. The end leaflet is usually the largest. The flowers are in dense groups in the axils of leaves. The fruit is a long seed capsule. It is 7-15 mm long by 1 mm wide. It splits open into 2 valves. There are many seeds.

Edible Uses

The leaves are eaten raw as a peppery salad or cooked in soups. It is a minor vegetable of local importance.

Traditional Uses

The leaves are eaten raw as a salad. It has a peppery flavour. They can be cooked and used in soups.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The leaves are considered to be a blood purifier.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in humid locations. It is often along river banks and the edges of pools. It is mostly in the lowlands but can be up to 1,200 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Africa, Burundi, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo, East Africa, Gabon, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia,

Other Information

It is a minor vegetable of local importance.

Synonyms

Nasturtium humifusum Guill. & Perr.Nasturtium madagascariense DC.Rorippa humifusa (Guill. & Perr.) Hiern

References (2)

Grubben, G. J. H. and Denton, O. A. (eds), 2004, Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands. p 449
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew