238 



FLORA OF JAMAICA 



Nasturtium 



Water Cress. 



In fl. April-May ; in perennial rivulets ; Sloanc ; Ferry and other 

 places, Browne; Macfadyen ; Mavis Bank, Jolinsonl Bermuda, Cuba, 

 Porto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Cruz, Dominica, Martinique, St. Vincent, 

 throughout the whole world. 



Perennial aquatic. Stem decumbent below, rooting at the nodes, erect 

 above, h-'^ ft. (and more). Leaves innnate, lower 5-10 cm. 1., leaflets 



Fig. 98. Nasturtium fontanum Aschers. 



A, Leaf from base ot plant x |. 



B, Upper portion of flowering "branch X . 



C, Flower x 4. 



D, Stamens and receptacle x 4. 



E, Siliqiia slightly enlarged. 



F, Seed x 8. 



G, Embryo X 8. 



H, Seed cut across 

 r, radicle. 



X 8. c, cotyledons ; 



1-5 pairs, terminal leaflet broadest and largest, roundish, 1-3 "5 cm. in 

 diam. Flowers 3 '5-4 mm. 1. Sepals 2 mm. 1. Petals white. Disk- 

 glands 4. Siligua '6-1 '5 cm. 1. Seed about 1 mm. 1. 



N. heterophyllum Blume, Bijdr. 50 (1825), is a weed in 

 Castleton Gardens, but we do not know of its occurrence 

 elsewhere in the island. The leaves are denticulate, obovate or 

 rhomboid, sublyrate, the lower stalked, the highest sessile ; the 

 flowers are greenish-yellow, petals w^anting ; the siliquas are 

 somewhat terete, elongate, strict. 



2. CARDAMINE L. 



Leaves generally pinnatisect. Flowers purple or white. 

 Sepals equal at base. Petals clawed or narrowed to base. 

 Siliqua linear, compressed, valves flat, nerveless, separating 



