TROP^OLUM 



THE BULB BOOK 



TROP^EOLUM 



squalida, brownish (Bot. Mag. t. 581) ; 

 and T. undulata, red, varying to white 

 and blue (Bot. Mag. t. 599). 



TROP-flSOLUM (tropaion, a trophy ; 

 the leaves resemble a buckler, and 

 the flowers a helmet). Nat. Ord. 

 Geraniaceae. Out of the thirty-five 

 species in this genus there are several 

 with tuberous root-stocks, the best- 

 known being mentioned below. The 

 stems of most species are more or 

 less climbing or rambling, and bear 

 leaves more or less lobed and not so 

 round as in such well-known kinds 

 as the large and small Indian Cress 

 (T. majus and T. minus). They are 

 all easily recognised, not only by the 

 lobed or unlobed peltate leaves, but 

 also by the irregular flowers composed 

 of five petals, often hairy at the base, 

 by the eight free stamens, and the 

 three -lobed capsule. Some of the 

 species described below are more 

 tender than others, and can only be 

 regarded as hardy in the mildest 

 parts of the Kingdom. They may, 

 however, be grown in warm sheltered 

 spots, and in well-drained sandy soil 

 into which some leaf -mould or well- 

 decayed manure has been dug. In 

 bleak localities the tuberous roots 

 should be covered with a layer of 

 litter or bracken in winter as a 

 protection against severe frosts. 



T. azureum. A beautiful but 

 rather tender Chilian species with 

 roundish tubers, slender stems 3 to 

 6 ft. long, small irregularly five-lobed 

 leaves, and blue flowers with five 

 bilobed petals (Bot. Reg. xxviii. t. 65). 



T. Beuthi. A native of Bolivia, 

 with tuberous root-stocks, roundish 

 leaves divided into five to six oboval 

 lobes, and yellow flowers in June and 

 July. Rather tender. 



T. brachyceras. This Chilian plant 

 has the leaves divided into six to 

 seven lobes, and yellow flowers with 



a short spur (Bot. Mag. t. 3851 ; Bot. 

 Reg. t. 1926 ; Fl. d. Serr. t. 368). A 

 tender plant best grown in a green- 

 house. 



T. edule. A Chilian species closely 

 related to T. polyphyllum, having 

 leaves divided into six oblong, lance- 

 shaped lobes, and orange - yellow 

 flowers with a tapering spur (Maund. 

 Bot. t. 248; Paxt. Mag. Bot. ix t 

 127). 



T. Leichtlinl. This is a fine hybrid 

 between T. polyphyllum and T. edule. 

 It has tubers about the size of a small 

 potato, grey-green leaves deeply cut 

 into narrow lobes, and producing in 

 May and June numerous bright 

 orange-yellow flowers spotted with 

 red. (Rev. Hort. 1897, t. 400.) 



T. Moritzianum. A beautiful plant 

 from Caracas, having large tuberous 

 roots, long-stalked peltate leaves 4 to 

 6 ins. across, and bright yellow and 

 orange flowers in July, the upper 

 ciliated petals being veined with 

 deep red (Bot. Mag. t. 3844; Paxt. 

 Mag. Bot. viii. t. 199). It is safer 

 to grow this in a frame or greenhouse 

 in most places. 



T. pentaphyllum. A native of 

 Buenos Ayres, having roundish 

 brown - skinned tubers, slightly 

 twisted and branched purplish stems, 

 and leaves palmately cut into five 

 oblong lobes. The flowers appear in 

 June and July, and are bright ver- 

 milion, the sepals being purple. (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 3190.) 



T. polyphyllum. A free-growing 

 Chilian species, with trailing stems 

 3 to 4 ft. long, well furnished with 

 grey-green leaves cut into about eight 

 obovate lance -shaped lobes. The 

 bright yellow flowers appear in June 

 and July, the two broader petals 

 being spotted with red. The tubers 

 are oblong, with dark red skin. (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 4042; Fl. d. Serr. t. 2066; 

 Paxt. Mag. Bot. x. t. 175.) 



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