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Tropaeolum tuberosum

Common name:	Anu	Family:	Tropaeolaceae
Author:	Ruiz.& Pav.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	S. America - Peru, Bolivia.
Habitat:	Mountain slopes and valleys[90]. Moist wooded scrubby areas around 3000 metres in Peru and Ecuador[196].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	4	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Anu [P],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	tuberosum = tuberous
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Geraniales. Nasturtium family

Physical Characteristics

Perennial Climber growing to 2m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in flower from June to October, and the seeds ripen from June to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 4/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

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

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Cultivated Beds, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Cultivar 'Ken Aslet': Woodland, Cultivated Beds, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

Flowers Leaves Root.

Tubers - cooked[1, 2]. A peppery flavour, it is rather unpleasant to many tastes[27, 34, 37]. The flavour can be improved somewhat by freezing the tubers after they have been cooked, they are then considered to be a delicacy by many people[183]. We have also noticed an improvement in the flavour if the tubers are harvested after they have been frosted, though if the frost is too heavy they can damage the tubers[K]. Other reports suggest half-drying the tubers before use[27, 34, 97, 183]. The tubers can be up to 10cm long and 5cm thick[260]. They are high in vitamin C[196]. The dried tuber contains up to 16% protein[196].
Leaves - raw or cooked as a vegetable[183, 196].
Flowers - raw[183, 196].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Anaphrodisiac.

The tuber is considered to be an anaphrodisiac in the Andes, reducing sexual desire. Many men, therefore, refuse to eat it, whilst recommending it for use by women![196]. Clinical trials have indicated a reduction of up to 45% in some male hormones when the tuber forms a considerable part of the diet, but no loss in fertility has been observed[196].

Other Uses

Repellent.

The growing plant is very resistant to diseases and insects, it contains nematocidal, bactericidal and insecticidal compounds[196].

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained lime-free soil in a warm sunny position[1, 33, 200]. Grows best with its roots in the shade and top growth in the sun[202]. Plants can become dormant in hot dry summers[90]. Grows best in a pH range from 5.3 to 7.5[196]. Prefers a turfy loam or a sandy peaty soil[1].
This species is not very hardy when grown outdoors in Britain. The top growth will survive light frosts, whilst the tubers, if well mulched, will survive to at least -5° c[1, 200].
Anu is sensitive to the number of hours of daylight in a day and most forms will not flower or form new tubers until late in the season (from September), so a mild autumn is required for good yields[33].The variety 'Ken Aslet', however, is not affected by daylight hours, it flowers from June to October and produces larger tubers than the species from mid-summer onwards[90, 104, 200].
The tubers are formed very near the surface of the soil[90] and so will require some protection, such as a mulch, if they are to be left in the ground over the winter[K]. The tubers can also be stored in a cool dry frost-free place over the winter and then planted out in April[200].
Long cultivated in the Andes for its edible root, there are many named varieties[2, 61, 90, 104, 196]. A potentially very high-yielding species, individual plants can produce up to 4 kilos of tubers - yields of 50 tonnes per hectare are possible[196].
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. So far we have been unable to obtain seed from plants grown in this country.
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.

Cultivars

'Ken Aslet': This cultivar is not day-length dependant. It comes into flower much earlier than the species, usualy in June, and continues flowering until the autumn. It also forms larger tubers[90, 104, 200].

Suppliers

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

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Alternative Root Crops.

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.
[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[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

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[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.

[27] Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8
A reprint of a nineteenth century classic, giving details of vegetable varieties. Not really that informative though.

[33] Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber 1960
Unusual vegetables that can be grown outdoors in Britain. A good guide.

[34] Harrison. S. Wallis. M. Masefield. G. The Oxford Book of Food Plants. Oxford University Press 1975
Good drawings of some of the more common food plants from around the world. Not much information though.

[37] Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878
Excellent general but extensive guide to gardening practices in the 19th century. A very good section on fruits and vegetables with many little known species.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[90] Phillips. R. and Rix. M. Bulbs Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30253-1
Superbly illustrated, it gives brief details on cultivation and native habitat.

[97] Towle. M. A. The Ethno-Botany of Pre-Columbian Peru.
A very interesting book covering quite a lot of information on plant uses in S. America although many of the plants are not suitable for temperate areas..

[104] RHS. The Garden. Volume 111. Royal Horticultural Society 1986
Snippets of information from the magazine of the RHS, including an article in Crambe maritima and another on several species thought to be tender that are succeeding in a S. Devon garden.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[196] Popenoe. H. et al Lost Crops of the Incas National Academy Press 1990 ISBN 0-309-04264-X
An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.

[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.

[202] Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990 ISBN 0-670-82929-3
Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.

[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.

[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.

Readers Comments

Oxalis tuberosa

A.Wigmore (amjwigmore@yahoo.co.uk) Sun Jan 27 20:16:18 2002

I grow various unusual tubers in my raised vegetable beds: oxalis tuberosa, tropaeolum tuberosum , apios americana, dioscorea batatas (that one does not do well, probably too cold without protection), yacon. I wonder if any or all of them will benefit from a load of compost, and whether it is good to grow them in the same place year after year?

Details of Growing Condition: Somerset, raised vegetable beds, quite exposed..

Cross references: Plants: Oxalis tuberosa, Apios Americana , Dioscorea batatas, Yacon.

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