Tropaeolum majus L.

Species description

Annual plants, usually glabrous. Stems trailing,1-2,5 m. Leaves petiolate, with 9 veins radiating from petiole, orbicular to nearly reniform, 3-10(15) cm in diameter, usually papillose bellow; margin variously angled to sinuate or entire. Pedicels 6-13(-18) cm. Flowers axillary, solitary, calyx with fused sepals extended into a straight slightly curved spur (2-3 cm), petals 5, yellow to red-orange or maroon. Distal 2 petals usually larger than proximal 3 (lower petals ciliate at the base); limb of petal orbicular, almost equal to claw; claw margin deeply fringed. Stamens 8; ovary 3-loculed with one style; stigma linear, 3-lobed. Fruits oblate, 1.5-2 cm diameter, split into 3 1-seeded mericarps, when matured.

Habitats

Ecological indicator values by © Landolt & al. (2010)

Soil factors		Climatic factors		Salinity tolerance
Humidity Value H	--	Light Value L	--	Salinity Index	--
Reaction Value R	--	Temperature factor T	--
Nutriments value N	--	Continentality K	--

• Ecological values legend
  

  Humidity Value H
  1	very dry
  1+	dry
  2	moderatly dry
  2+	moist
  3	medium wet
  3+	wet
  4	very wet
  4+	soggy
  5	submerged or underwater
  f	plants living in running water
  u	mostly submerged plants
  v	partly submerged, partly floating plants
  w	humidity moderately variable (± scale of 1-2)
  w+	highly variable humidity (scale exceeding ± 2)

  Reaction Value R
  1	Very acid (pH 2.5-5.5)
  2	acid (pH 3.5-6.5)
  3	lightly acid to neutral (pH 4.5-7.5)
  4	neutral to basic (pH 5.5-8.5)
  5	basic (pH 6-5 -> 8.5

  Nutriments value N
  1	very low in nutrients
  2	low in nutriments
  3	medium-poor to medium-rich in nutrients
  4	rich in nutriments
  5	very rich in nutriments

  Salinity tolerance
  1	halotolerant
  3	halophyle

  Light Value L
  1	very shady
  2	shady
  3	lighted areas
  4	luminous
  5	highly luminous

  Temperature factor T
  1	alpine to nival stages (from the treeline to the snowline)
  1+	suprasubalpine and upper subalpine levels (pine and larch forests)
  2	subalpine level (coniferous forests without beeches up to the upper limit of spruces)
  2+	lower subalpine and upper mountain stages
  3	mountain level (beech and silver fir forests, in the central Alps Scots pine forests)
  3+	lower mountain and upper hill levels
  4	hill level (mixed deciduous oak forests)
  4+	hot places, hill level
  5	very hot places, hill level (only in the hottest places, typical of southern Europe)

  Continentality K
  1	Atlantic (high air humidity, very low temperature variations, mild winters)
  2	Sub-Atlantic (high air humidity, low temperature variations, relatively mild winters)
  3	sub-Atlantic to subcontinental (average air humidity, moderately variable temperature, slightly low winter temperatures)
  4	subcontinental (low air humidity, large temperature variations, rather cold winters)
  5	continental (very low air humidity, very large temperature variations, cold winters)

Match with other reference books

Relation	Nom	Book	No
=	Tropaeolum majus L.	Checklist 2017	430700
=	Tropaeolum majus L.	Index synonymique 1996	430700
=	Tropaeolum majus L.	Landolt 1977	1923
=	Tropaeolum majus L.	SISF/ISFS 2	430700