72 
THE LADIES’ FLOWER-GARDEN 
GENUS I. 
TEOP^OLUM Lin. THE INDIAN CRESS. 
Lin. Syst. OCTANDRIA MONOGYNIA, 
Generic Character. — Calyx live-parted ; upper lobe fumislied what erose, kidney-shaped, indehiscent, furrowed, roundish. Seed large, 
with a spur. Petals five, unequal, three lower ones smallest, or vanished filling the cell. ((?. Don.') 
altogether. Stamens eight, free from the base. Carpels three, some- 
Desceiption, &c. — All the species of Tropseolum have ornamental flowers, which are generally yellow, some- 
times mixed with red, and in one species are of a beautiful light blue. They are all greenhouse perennials, but 
many of them may be grown as annuals in the open air. Some of them, however, have tuberous roots, and can 
only be gi’own either in frames or greenhouses. The leaves have generally a hot taste, like cress, and it is on this 
account that the common garden Tropaeolum is popularly called the Nasturtium, Nasturtium being the botanic 
name for cress. It is singular that it is only in this order and in Crucifera that the peculiarly acrid flavour, so 
well known in cress and other cruciferous vegetables, is found to exist. The leaves of most of the species are what 
is called peltate, that is, the foot-stalk grows from the centre of the leaf on the imder side. All the species have 
slender climbing stems, which require support. The word Tropmolum signifies a trophy, alluding to the arms of 
a vanquished warrior, the leaves being somewhat in the form of a buclder, and the flowers resembling an empty 
helmet. It will be observed, that in this genus it is extremely difficult to decide which should be called greenhouse 
plants, and which are to be considered hardy ; since all the species, even the common garden Nasturtium, are, 
properly speaking, greenhouse perennials. It has been the custom, however, so long to consider some of the lands 
as garden annuals, that it would appear quite ridiculous now to speak of them in any other light ; and as even some 
of those which are tuberous-rooted will live in the open ground dm’ing the summer, they are frequently included in 
the lists of hardy plants. The following kinds, however, have, I believe, never been planted in the open air, and 
may, therefore, at present at least, be fairly considered as greenhouse plants ; though in a few years, no doubt, 
they, or at least some of them, will share the fate of their elder brethren, and be found to succeed in the open air. 
1.— TROP^OLUM POLYPHYLLUM Cav. THE MANY-LEAVED TROP.;EOLUM. 
Engravings. — Bot. Mag., t. 4042 ; Paxt. Mag. of Bot., vol. x., 
p. 175; and out fig. 2, in PI. 17. 
Specific Character. — Stem prostrate. Leaves palmate-peltate, 
deeply cut into five or nine obovate lobes. Spur of the calyx drawn 
out and longer than the sepals. The upper petals longer than the 
others, and emarginate. 
Description, &c. — The stem of this plant is succulent, and grows to the length of one or two feet. It is 
naturally prostrate, but it may be trained over a wire or frame in the same way as several of the other species. 
The stems are covered with immense quantities of glaucous leaves, and numerous flowers, which are yellow, streaked 
with red. The calyx is green, and rather small, but it ends in a very long, attenuated spur. The plant is a native 
of Chili, where it is found on both sides of the Cordilleras, and as it grows tolerably high up the mountains, it will 
probably prove as hardy as any of the other species of the genus. It was introduced in 1839. 
