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Tropaeolum majus

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Brassicales Family: Tropaeolaceae Genus: Tropaeolum

garden nasturtium, pohe haole

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Somewhat succulent annual or short-lived perennial herbs, with watery, acrid sap.

Stems: Stems glabrous, usually climbing.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate or the lowermost opposite. Blades peltate, orbicular or ± angled, 4–15 cm wide. Lower surfaces papillose. Margins entire to undulate. ca. 9-veined. Petioles twining, 10–30 cm long or sometimes more. Stipules minute.

Flowers: Flowers solitary in the leaf axils. Flowers bisexual (perfect), strongly zygomorphic, 2.5–6 cm long. Calyx funnel shaped, greenish yellow, 5-lobed, imbricate, dorsal one produced into a nectariferous spur. Spur 2.5–3 cm long, straight or curved. Corolla of 5 petals, imbricate, clawed, the lower petals deeply fringed on the claw, apex of petals usually rounded, yellow, orange, reddish orange, or red, throat often darker, sometimes striped and spotted. Stamens 8, in 2 whorls of 4, declined; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, 3-carpellate, with as many lobes and cells, placentation apicalaxile; ovules 1 per cell, pendulous, anatropous; style 1; stigmas 3, linear.

Fruit: Fruit 3–lobed; ca. 8 mm long; prominently ribbed. Seeds 1 per mericarp; with a large; straight embryo; endosperm absent.

Ploidy: 2n = 24; 28

Habitat: Mesic; disturbed areas.

Elevation Range: 850–1,350 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Potentially naturalizing
Molokai Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Water/Ocean

Vegetative Reproduction

Pollinators

Notes

  • 850-1350 m
  • Description digitized by Rafael Domingo
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • also known as nasturium, used as companion plant to deter pests
  • hillerbrand 1888

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: errata, last page (1753)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1295 (K, Mo, M, H); Staples & Herbst 2005:550 (DESCR)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Tropaeolum majus Waimea District. Kokee State Park, jct. of Halemanu Rd. and Kokee Rd. near Tracking Station Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 4967 Kauai BISH 1983-08-26
2 Tropaeolum majus Waimea District. Kokee State Park, Awaawapuhi Valley mixed mesophytic forest with Metrosideros dominant Preserved_Specimen Herb with trailing stems, flowers deep orange Lorence, D.H. 5273 Kauai BISH 1987-06-12
3 Tropaeolum majus Keauhou Ranch, Kau district, 30 ft. from Puu oo raod Growing in pit (collapsed lava tube), with Odontonema strictum, Kahili ginger and ohia lehua. Preserved_Specimen Vine. Davis, J. 184 Hawaii BISH 1980-01-04
4 Tropaeolum majus Kula Preserved_Specimen watery, weak-stemmed, trailing herb with orange flowers Herbst, D.R. 783 Maui BISH 1967-12-15
5 Tropaeolum majus Kula or Hamakua Preserved_Specimen Hillebrand, W.B. Maui BISH
6 Tropaeolum majus Kaunakakai Gulch Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 626 Molokai BISH 1915-03-28
7 Tropaeolum majus Puna District, land of Olaa, volcano transfer dump Preserved_Specimen decumbent herb with orange flowers. Plant watery and with a peppery taste Herbst, D.R. 5601 Hawaii BISH 1975-12-16
8 Tropaeolum majus Sunset Beach sandy loam Preserved_Specimen herb to 12; round leaves, orange flowers Afualo, D. 134 Oahu BISH 1975-03-25
9 Tropaeolum majus Waimea District. Kokee State Park, John Plews cabin; Camp 10 Rd Preserved_Specimen Plews, J.H.R. Kauai BISH 1986-10-23
10 Tropaeolum majus Waimea District. Kokee State Park, Waineke Swamp along Mohihi Rd. ~1/2 mi. SE of Kokee Lodge; marshy area with Cyperaceae, Gramineae, and Cyclosorus interruptus Preserved_Specimen trailing herb with succulent stems, flowers lemon yellow. Lorence, D.H. 5287 Kauai BISH 1987-08-01
11 Tropaeolum majus W Kawela Gulch; go down SE.-trending ridge from exclosure site, to gulch floor and upstream; lower slopes of steep sided gulch, just below 30-ft. plunge pool with Ricinus, Melinis, Dodonaea, Styphelia and Metrosideros overstory; scattered shade Preserved_Specimen trailing herb Mill, S.W. 511 Molokai BISH 1986-10-17
12 Tropaeolum majus Keauhou Ranch, Kau District, 30 feet from Puu oo road Growing in a pit (collapsed lava tube), with Odontonema strictum, Kahili ginger, and `ohi`a lehua, 30 ft. from road. Preserved_Specimen Vine. Davis, J. 184 Hawaii BISH 1980-01-04
13 Tropaeolum majus Keauou Ranch, Kau District, near eastern boundary with Meyer's Ranch Growing with Pennisetum clandestinum (kikuyu) in stand of planted Gymnosperms. Preserved_Specimen Creeping herb. Flowers dark orange. Cuddihy, L.W. 650 Hawaii BISH 1980-10-23
14 Tropaeolum majus Keauhou Ranch, Kau District. Near Puu oo trail, ca. 1/4 mile from ranch house Growing in depression, a collapsed lava tube, with Odontonema stricta, Kahili ginger, and Metrosideros, near trail. Preserved_Specimen Vine. Flowers orange. Davis, J. 311 Hawaii BISH 1980-06-25
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