Short Description
The bog yellowcress can grow up to 80 centimetres tall.
The leaves are lobed almost to the midvein (pinnatisect). They have a large, ovate terminal segment. The leaf margin is toothed.
The stem grows erect and branched. It is angular. It can be hairless or short in the lower part.
The flowers are clustered at the end of a racemose inflorescence. They are yellow and have four petals. The four sepals often look similar and can also be mistaken for petals.
The fruits are "sausage-shaped" pods. That means they are short, thick and curved.
Features
Bog yellowcress
Rorippa palustris
four yellow petals
sausage-shaped fruits
In the city
The bog yellowcress prefers to grow on wet, usually drier, nutrient-rich soils in summer. It is found on the shores of lakes and ponds, along ditches and paths, in damp fields and on fallow land.
Fun Facts
The seeds are spread in particular by water birds.
It belongs to the same plant family as mustard and cabbage. It contains mustard oil glycosides, which are often found in the cruciferous family.
The flowering period is from June to September.
The plant usually only grows as an annual, i.e. it dies after the seeds have ripened.
- Endangerment level Germany: not endangered
The bog yellowcress is native to Germany and occurs frequently. Nowadays it is found almost all over the world.
The leaves taste spicy and can be used for mixed salads.
Sources
Habitus, Kristian Peters, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rorippa_palustris.jpeg
Blütenstand, TeunSpaans, PD, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rorippa_palustris_R0016754.JPG
Habitus, Stefan.lefnaer, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rorippa_palustris_sl9.jpg
Kammer, P. M. (2016) Pflanzen einfach bestimmen. Schritt für Schritt einheimische Arten kennenlernen, Bern: Haupt Verlag.
Spohn, M., Golte-Bechtle, M. & Spohn, R. (2015) Was blüht denn da? Stuttgart: Franckh Kosmos Verlag.
Page „Gewöhnliche Sumpfkresse“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 16.02.2018, 15:30 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gew%C3%B6hnliche_Sumpfkresse&oldid=174080002 (Accessed: 24.08.2018).