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(Last Modified On 5/24/2013)
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(Last Modified On 5/24/2013)
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Genus
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Tropaeolum L.
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PlaceOfPublication
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Sp. P1. 345. 1753
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Description
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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.
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Habit
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herbs
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Note
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The two aberrant Patagonian genera differ in having either erect peduncles and an almost actinomorphic calyx (Trophaeastrum) or in having winged car- pels, samaras (Magallana). In Panama 4 species occur, 2 of which are introduced as ornamentals. One other species included here, T. moritzianum, Costa Rica and Colombia, has been confounded with T. emarginatum (see below). The species grown as ornamentals are known as "nasturtiums" (not related to the genus Nasturtium, Cruciferae).
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Distribution
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ranges from southernmost Mexico to southeastern Brazil and Patagonia.
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Key
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a. Receptacle not elongating, i.e. ripe carpels not on a carpophore; spur straight; petals entire at base. b. Leaves with 5 or more principal nerves, the middle three unforked; inferior petals ciliate at the base of the lamina. c. Petals entire or undulate, not ciliate at apex; superior petals of the same size or bigger than the inferior petals ...... 1. T. majus cc. Petals ciliate; inferior petals bigger or at least longer than the superior petals ...... 2. T. moritzianum bb. Leaves with 3 principal nerves, the lateral ones forked; inferior petals not ciliate at laminar base or stipe. d. All petals serrate-ciliate at apex, more or less of the same size ...... 3. T. emarginatim dd. Superior petals not ciliate, about half the size of the interior petals, sub- entire ...... 4. T. pendulum aa. Receptacle elongating, ripe carpels on a carpophore; spur conspicuously hooked; interior petals notably smaller than the superior petals, and with a big tooth at the base ...... 5. T. peregrinum
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