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Tropaeolum sessilifolium

Common name:		Family:	Tropaeolaceae
Author:	Poepp.&Endl.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	S. America - Chile.
Habitat:	Rather arid mountain slopes[247]. Open stony slopes and in sand gullies near snow patches at heights around 2,200 metres in the Andes[260].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	sessilifolium = stalkless leaves;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Geraniales. Nasturtium family

Physical Characteristics

Perennial Climber growing to 3m. It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in flower from April to May. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Root.

Tuber - raw or cooked[105, 177]. One of the best-flavoured tubers in this genus, it makes acceptable eating even when raw[2]. The tubers are rather small[247].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers a sunny position in a well-drained humus-rich neutral or slightly acidic loam[200].
This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to about -5°c and is usually best grown in a cold greenhouse or conservatory[200]. This rather conflicts with the plants native habitat, since it grows in mountainous areas subject to snow. This should be a cold-tolerant species, adapted to a dry summer after brief spring rain and snowmelt[260]. It might be safest to lift the tubers in the autumn after the plant has been cut back by frost, store them in a cool but frost-free place over the winter and plant them out in April[200]. This species is succeeding outdoors in a garden in Lanarkshire where it is being grown on a bank of sharply draining soil and under some juniper shrubs which both give it protection and act as a support for its climbing stems[247].
The plant sets seed when grown outdoors, but a better set is obtained when the plants are grown under protection[247].
A climbing plant, it supports itself by twisting its leaf stalks around other plants etc[219].
The caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly can be a nuisance and often cause considerable damage to the leaves[219].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse. Prick the seedlings out into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. The seed normally germinates quite freely[247].
Division of the tubers in the autumn or spring. In cold winter areas the tubers can be harvested in the autumn after top-growth has died down and they can then be stored in a cool frost-free position until planting them out in the spring.
Cuttings of basal stems in the spring[200]. Pot them up into individual pots and place them in light shade in a frame until they are established. Plant out in early summer.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

Latin and Worldwide Common Names From Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database by M. H. Porcher et. al. 1995 - 2000 Landcare Systems Research Laboratory, Department of Crop Production,Institute of Land and Food Resources, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[219] Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

[247] Knees. S. The New Plantsman. Volume 4. Royal Horticultural Society, London 1997 ISBN 1352-4186
A few articles of interest, especially Berberdopsis corallina and Tropaeolum species.

[260] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998 ISBN 0-330-37376-5
Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.