HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Tropaeolum majus'', the garden nasturtium, nasturtium, Indian cress or monks cress, is a
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
of
flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
in the
family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...
Tropaeolaceae, originating in the Andes from Bolivia north to Colombia. An easily-grown
annual Annual may refer to: *Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook **Literary annual *Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), a ...
or short-lived
perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
with disc-shaped leaves and brilliant yellow, orange or red flowers, it is of cultivated, probably
hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...
origin.Huxley, A., ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening''. Macmillan . It is not closely related to the genus '' Nasturtium'' (which includes
watercress Watercress or yellowcress (''Nasturtium officinale'') is a species of aquatic flowering plant in the cabbage family Brassicaceae. Watercress is a rapidly growing perennial plant native to Europe and Asia. It is one of the oldest known leaf ve ...
).


Etymology

The species was originally called ''Nasturtium indicum'' ("Indian nasturtium") but the plant is not related to the true ''Nasturtium'' genus. The current genus name ''Tropaeolum'', coined by
Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...
, means "little trophy". ''Tropaeolum'' is the diminutive form of the Latin ''tropaeum'', itself borrowed from Ancient Greek τρόπαιον : trópaion "trophy". The Latin
specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
''majus'' means “larger” (the neuter form of ''major'').


Description

It is a fast-growing plant, with trailing stems growing to . The
leaves A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, ste ...
are large, nearly circular, in diameter, green to glaucous green above, paler below; they are
peltate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular ...
, with the 5–30 cm long petiole near the middle of the leaf, with several veins radiating to the smoothly rounded or slightly lobed margin.


Lotus effect

Nasturtium leaves, like some other species, demonstrate the
lotus effect The lotus effect refers to self-cleaning properties that are a result of ultrahydrophobicity as exhibited by the leaves of ''Nelumbo'', the lotus flower. Dirt particles are picked up by water droplets due to the micro- and nanoscopic architect ...
, whereby rainwater falling on the surface gathers into globular droplets which roll off the leaf, leaving it dry and clean.
Electron microscope An electron microscope is a microscope that uses a beam of accelerated electrons as a source of illumination. As the wavelength of an electron can be up to 100,000 times shorter than that of visible light photons, electron microscopes have a h ...
scanning reveals tiny bundles of waxy particles which repel the water.


Flowers and fruit

The flowers are 2.5–6 cm in diameter, mildly scented, with five petals, eight stamens, and a 2.5–3 cm long nectar spur at the rear; they vary from yellow to orange to red, frilled and often darker at the base of the petals. The fruit is 2 cm broad, three-segmented, each segment with a single large seed 1–1.5 cm long.Jepson Flora
''Tropaeolum majus''
/ref>Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk

/ref>


The Elizabeth Linnaeus phenomenon

''Das Elisabeth Linné-Phänomen'', or the ''Elizabeth Linnæus Phenomenon'', is the name given to the phenomenon of "flashing flowers". Especially at dusk, the orange flowers may appear to emit small "flashes". Once believed to be an electrical phenomenon, it is today thought to be an optical reaction in the human eye caused by the contrast between the orange flowers and the surrounding green. The phenomenon is named after
Elisabeth Christina von Linné Elisabeth Christina von Linné (1743–1782), was a Swedish botanist, daughter of Carl Linnaeus and Sara Elisabeth Moræa.Carl Linnaeus's daughters, who discovered it at age 19.Försenad jätteplantering till Malmös schlagerfest, expert varnar för kalkning och kogödsel på påse
, ''Odla med P1'',
Sveriges Radio Sveriges Radio AB (, "Sweden's Radio") is Sweden's national publicly funded radio broadcaster. Sveriges Radio is a public limited company, owned by an independent foundation, previously funded through a licensing fee, the level of which is d ...
, 29 April 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2013. (in Swedish)


Ecology

The garden nasturtium is used as a food plant by the
larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. Th ...
e of some
Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 percent of the total described specie ...
species including the
dot moth The dot moth (''Melanchra persicariae'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1761. It is a very distinctive species with very dark brown, almost black, forewings marked with a large white stigma ...
and the garden carpet moth. A common pest found on nasturtiums is the caterpillar of the large white or cabbage white butterfly.


Introduced range

The species has become naturalized in parts of the United States ( California,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Mary ...
,
New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
, Connecticut and
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
),Flora of North America v 7 p 166
/ref> as well as parts of Europe and Asia, Africa and Australia. It is listed as invasive in
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is ...
and
Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland Por ...
, Australia.


Cultivation and uses

''Tropaeolum majus''
cultivars A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...
are widely grown as easy annual plants, for poor, damp soil in full sun. The large seeds are easy to handle individually. As they do not tolerate heavy frost they are best sown under glass in heat, and planted out after all danger of frost has passed. Alternatively, as they are fast-growing, they may be sown ''in situ'' in May or June. Many flower colours are available, in the warm spectrum from cream through yellow, orange, red and maroon. Some have highly decorative marbling on the leaves. The groups Whirlybird Series and Alaska Series have gained the
Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (N ...
’s
Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...
.


Culinary

All of the above-ground parts of the plants are edible. The flower has most often been consumed, making for an especially ornamental salad ingredient; it has a slightly peppery taste reminiscent of
watercress Watercress or yellowcress (''Nasturtium officinale'') is a species of aquatic flowering plant in the cabbage family Brassicaceae. Watercress is a rapidly growing perennial plant native to Europe and Asia. It is one of the oldest known leaf ve ...
, and is also used in
stir fry Stir frying () is a cooking technique in which ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred or tossed in a wok. The technique originated in China and in recent centuries has spread into other parts of Asia and ...
. The flowers contain about 130 mg
vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) and ...
per , about the same amount as is contained in
parsley Parsley, or garden parsley (''Petroselinum crispum'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae that is native to the central and eastern Mediterranean region (Sardinia, Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, southern Italy, Greece, ...
. Moreover, they contain up to 45 mg of
lutein Lutein (;"Lutein"
caper ''Capparis spinosa'', the caper bush, also called Flinders rose, is a perennial plant that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and large white to pinkish-white flowers. The plant is best known for the edible flower buds (capers), used as a seasoning ...
s.


Traditional medicine

Some native South Americans used the plant medicinally, apparently due to its antibiotic and antibacterial properties. Some Europeans ate it to treat urinary and genital infections.


Gallery

File:TropaeolumMajusOrange.jpg, Botanical scan File:TropaeolumMajusVariety.jpg, Some color varieties File:Yellow and red Tropaeolum majus (Garden nasturtium).jpg, Flowering yellow and red File:Kapuziner-Kresse 7148.jpg, Flower showing nectar spur File:Tropaeolum majus 02 ies.jpg, Underside of leaf showing petiole attachment File:Tropaeolum majus 04 ies.jpg, Flower cut through to show structure File:Tropaeolum majus0.jpg, Immature fruit File:TropaeolumMajusLobed.jpg, Lobed leaf morphology


References

{{Authority control
majus ''Majūs'' (Arabic: مجوس) or ''Magūs'' (Persian: مگوش) was originally a term meaning Zoroastrians (and specifically, Zoroastrian priests). It was a technical term, meaning magus, and like its synonym ''gabr'' (of uncertain etymology) ori ...
Flora of South America Garden plants Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Leaf vegetables