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Nasturtium family
Tropaeolaceae Juss. ex DC.
ノウゼンハレン科
A herbaceous family native to the South American Andes, comprising about 90 species in a single genus (Tropaeolum). Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) is widely cultivated worldwide as both an ornamental and edible plant, and is popular in Japan as a garden plant.
Key Characteristics
- ●Leaves are circular and peltate with long petioles
- ●Flowers are zygomorphic with 5 petals and a posterior spur (nectar tube)
- ●Flowers and leaves are edible with a peppery flavor (isothiocyanates)
- ●Stems are succulent, either climbing or erect
Morphological Traits
A family may include species with different trait values — multiple values indicate the range within the family.
Leaf arrangement
Alternate / Opposite
Leaf type
Simple / Compound
Venation
Palmate
Leaf margin
Entire
Growth form
Herb
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Compound type
Palmate
Leaf dissection
Dissected / Undivided
Stipules
Present / Absent
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic / Zygomorphic
Petal count
Many
Ovary position
Superior
Stamen count
5
Plant sex
Hermaphrodite
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core Eudicots > Brassicales > Tropaeolaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous to Paleogene (ca. 70 million years ago)
Representative Genera
Related Evolution Events
- ・Convergent evolution of glucosinolates (pungent compounds) within Brassicales
- ・Coevolution with hummingbirds through floral spurs (Andean highlands)
Plants in Nasturtium family on this site
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