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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE MUSTARD FAMILY | |||||||||
| The mustard family can easily be
identified by the fruit types. In this family the fruit types are the silicle
and the silique. Both fruit types split open along two lines and have a
membranous partition in the center to which the seeds attach. The silicle
is long and thin, while the silicle is short and wide. The mustard family
can also be identified by the flowers. The flowers have four separate sepals
and four clawed petals arranged in a cross shape. There are four long stamens
and two short stamens. The mustard family is well known in Saskatchewan. Many people farm canola as a crop. Also, many vegetables we consume in North America come from this family including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussel sprouts. |
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| WATERCRESS | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Rorippa tenerrima | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Watercress grows along the ground from a slender taproot. The hairless stems are tufted. The leaves are usually short-stalked and pinnately lobed with the lateral lobes pointing downward. The lobes have smooth or slightly toothed edges. The sepals are longer than or equal to the petals. The silique has small bumps on the surface and the style is tapered to the tip of the fruit body. The fruit is generally 4 to 5.5 times as long as wide. There are 20 to 40 seeds per silique. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Watercress grows on the shores of small ponds and on riverbanks. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in southern Saskatchewan in the Cypress Upland, Mixed Grassland and Moist Mixed Grassland ecoregions. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Watercress is threatened because it is rare or uncommon in the province. This species is regionally restricted to one area of the province. The populations are usually locally numerous in within small areas. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY WATERCRESS | |||||||||
| * Are the sepals and petals about the same length? * Are there four petals in a cross shape? * Are the fruiting styles tapered towards the body of the silique? * Did you find it in southern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found watercress! | |||||||||
