WorldFloraDB - Tropaeolum

Characteristics

Annual or perennial herbs, mostly climbers, rarely procumbent terrestrials; subterranean part, if perennial, sometimes a rhizome or a tuber. Leaves alternate, stipulate; stipules mostly small and caducous; petioles long, normally of the same length as the lamina or longer, rarely shorter; lamina entire, lobed or palmately divided, peltate or subpeltate. Flowers normally single, in 2 species umbellate or fasciculate, appearing at the base of the leaves; peduncles mostly long, ebrac-teolate (except one species); calyx 5-lobed ending in an elongate, or sometimes short, spur, sepals 5, all alike or sometimes the inferior 2 larger; petals 5, 2 free, inserted at the base of the sepals, entire, serrate or lobed, eciliate or ciliate; sta-mens 8; pistil simple with a 3-lobed stigma, ovary 3-locular. Fruit a schizocarp with 3 indehiscent carpels.

Herbs, scrambling or climbing; mustard oils present. Leaves peltate, entire or shallowly lobed, with blades flat or undulate. Flowers axillary, showy, generally solitary, with distinct spur; zygomorphic. Sepals shortly fused. Petals brightly coloured, yellow to red; upper pair shorter than lower 3 and inserted at mouth of nectariferous spur. Stamens 8. Ovary 3-locular; locules uni-ovulate. Fruit of 3 separating mericarps, dry or slightly fleshy.

Prostrate or scandent herbs. Roots sometimes tuberous. Fls mostly yellow to scarlet, sometimes blue or purplish. Fr. of 3 indehiscent carpels, never winged.

Leaves: blade orbiculate or reniform [palmately lobed or divided]. Pedicels axillary. Flowers relatively large, torus cupuliform. x = 14.

Morphological characters are the same as those of the family.

Life form
Growth form	herb
Growth support	-
Foliage retention	deciduous
Sexuality	hermaphrodite
Pollination	-
Spread	-
Mature width (meter)	0.1 - 0.5
Mature height (meter)	0.1 - 0.5
Root system	rhizome
Rooting depth (meter)	-
Root diameter (meter)	-
Flower color
Blooming months	-
Fruit color	-
Fruiting months	-
Nitrogen fixer	-
Photosynthetic pathway	-

Environment

Light
Soil humidity	-
Soil texture	-
Soil acidity
Soil nutriment	-
Hardiness (USDA)

Usage

Uses	-
Edible	-
Therapeutic use	-
Human toxicity	-
Animal toxicity	-

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings.

Mode	cuttings
Germination duration (days)	10 - 15
Germination temperacture (C°)	12 - 18
Germination luminosity	-
Germination treatment	-
Minimum temperature (C°)	-
Optimum temperature (C°)	-
Size	-
Vigor	-
Productivity	-