TROP^'OLUM EDUXE, 
EDIBLE-ROOTED INDIAN CRESS. 
NATURAL ORDER, TROPiEOLACEiE. 
THALAMIFLORA, 
OF 
DECANDOLLE. 
f 
Artificial divisions 
to which 
this Plant belongs. 
! 
OCTANDRIA, 
MONOGYNIA, 
OF LINNEUS. 
No. 248. 
GENUS. Trop^olum. Linnaeus. Calyx 5-partitiis, lobo superiore cal- 
carato. Petala 5, insequalia, 3 inferiora minora aut evanida. Stamina 8, 
ab ipsa basi libera. Carpella 3, suberosa, reniformia, indehiseentia, bine sul¬ 
cata rotundata. Semina magna, exalbuininosa, loculiim siium implentia et 
hujus cavitati conformia. Embryo magnus • cotyledonibus 2, rectis, crassis, 
junioribus distinctis, dein arete conferruminatis et etiara cum spermodermate 
adhterentibus, ima basi subdistinctis; radiciila intra cotyledonum processus 
latente, tiibercula 4 mox radieellas proferentia gerente. Herb^ AmerieaiiEe, 
sapore nastiirtiano donatae, glabriuseulae, tenerse, diffusae aut volubiles. Folia 
alterna, non stipulaeea, petiolata, peltinervia. Pedunculi axillares, 1-flori. 
SPECIES, TROPiEOLUM EDULi. (Bridges) foliis longe petiolatis, peltati- 
sectis, segmentis 6-8, obovatis, intergerrinis; petalis 5, unguiculatis, lobatis, 
calyee longioribus. 
Character of the Genus, TROPiEOLUM. Calyx five-partite, 
the upper lobe spurred. Petals five, unequal, the three lower 
smaller or undeveloped. Stamens eight, entirely free. Carpella 
three, corky, kidney-shaped, indehiscent, or furrowed and rounded. 
Seeds large, exalbuminous, each completely filling the loculament 
in which it is placed. Embryo large, with two straight thick cotyle¬ 
dons, at first free, afterwards firmly agglutinated to each other, and to 
the testa, subdistinct at the base, the radicle lying between the processes 
of the cotyledons, bearing four tubercles, from which rootlets presently 
arise. 
Description of the Species, Trop^olum edule. Root tu¬ 
berous. Stem climbing, glabrous, branched. Leaves glaucous, 
peltate, alternate, cut to the apex of the petiole into 6-8 obovate 
entire unequal segments, reflected in their sides; petioles very long. 
Peduncles longer than the leaves, and like the petioles, acting as 
tendrils. Flower buds ovate, angled, green, longer than the spur. 
