TROP^'OLUM TUBERO'SUM. 
TUBEROUS INDIAN CRESS. 
Ordei'. 
MONOGYNXA. 
Natural Order. 
BALSAMINACEy^;. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
1 Duration. 
Introduced 
Peru. 
3 feet. 
September. 
1 Perennial. 
in 1827. 
No. 633. 
The name Tropaeolum is founded on the Greek 
TROPAiON, a war-like trophy, its leaf representing a 
shield, and its flower a helmet. See No. 427. 
This plant which is now assuming a character of 
interest amongst horticulturists has been in this 
country at least ten years, yet scarcely ever heard 
of. It now% however, bids fair to become a more 
important object of culture, since it is known to 
produce tubers which have been used as food by the 
inhabitants of its native country — Peru. This may, 
however, be the fact without their being of sufficient 
importance to be considered really an article of sub- 
sistence. Neither their quality nor the productive- 
ness of the plant in our climate, are yet sufficiently 
proved to enable us to form a just estimate of their 
value. In the cooked tubers there is a perceptible 
flavour of garden cress, with a little also of its 
w armth. Like Jerusalem Artichokes, and some other 
vegetables of the English garden, which are acknow- 
ledged to be palatable and wholesome, it may never 
become a successful competitor for public favour 
w ith such of our esculent vegetables as are common 
alike to the tables of the rich and the poor. 
159 
Class. 
OCTANDniA. 
