Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

NASTURTIUM, or INDIAN CRESS

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V19, Page 252 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

See also:

NASTURTIUM, or See also:INDIAN See also:CRESS , Tropaeolum majus, a perennial climber, native of See also:Peru, but in cultivation treated as a See also:hardy See also:annual. It climbs by means of the See also:long stalk of the peltate See also:leaf which is sensitive to contact like a tendril. The irregular See also:flowers have five sepals See also:united at the See also:base, the dorsal one produced into a spurred development of the See also:axis; of the five petals the two upper are slightly different and stand rather apart from the See also:lower three; the eight stamens are unequal and the See also:pistil consists of three carpels which See also:form a fleshy See also:fruit separating into three one-seeded portions. The flowers are sometimes eaten in salads, and the leaves and See also:young See also:green fruits are pickled in See also:vinegar as a substitute for See also:capers. The pungency of the nasturtium officinale, the See also:water-cress, gave it its name See also:nasi-tortium, that which twists the See also:nose. The plant should have a warm situation, and the See also:soil should be See also:light and well enriched; sow thinly See also:early in See also:April, either near a fence or See also:wall, or in an open spot, where it will require stakes 6 to 8 ft. high. The See also:dwarf form known as Tom Thumb (T. m. nanum), is an excellent bedding or border See also:flower, growing about a See also:foot high. Sow in April in the beds or See also:borders; and again in May for a See also:succession. Other See also:fine annual Tropaeolums are T. Lobbianum with long spurred See also:orange flowers and numerous varieties; and T. minus, a See also:kind of See also:miniature T. majus with yellow, See also:scarlet and See also:crimson varieties. The genus Tropaeolum, native of See also:South See also:America and See also:Mexico, includes about 35 See also:species of generally climbing annual and perennial herbs with orange, yellow, rarely See also:purple or See also:blue, irregular flowers, T. peregrinum is the well-known See also:canary creeper. The See also:flame nasturtium with brilliant scarlet blossoms is T. speciosum from See also:Chile; it has tuberous roots, as have also such well-known perennials as T. polyphyllum, T. pentaphyllum.

Of these T. speciosum should be grown in See also:

England in positions facing See also:north; it flourishes in See also:Scotland.

End of Article: NASTURTIUM, or INDIAN CRESS

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
NAST, THOMAS (1840-1902) 		[next]
NATAL

Site © 2006 - Net Industries