yellow cress

plant
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/plant/marsh-cress
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: yellowcress
Also spelled:
yellowcress

yellow cress, (genus Rorippa), genus of some 85 species of plants in the mustard family (Brassicaceae). Most members of the genus are found in the Northern Hemisphere, especially in marshes and other moist habitats, and bear small four-petaled yellow or white flowers. Rorippa includes several species formerly of the genus Nasturtium.

The marsh cress, or bog yellow cress (R. palustris), is an annual plant that has naturalized in marshy areas throughout the world. Great yellow cress (R. amphibia) and creeping yellow cress (R. sylvestris) are invasive species in North America. Lakecress (R. aquatica) is a slow-growing perennial often used in aquariums.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.