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''Tropaeolum'' ,〔''Sunset Western Garden Book''. 1995. 606–607; 〕 commonly known as nasturtium (; literally "nose-twister" or "nose-tweaker"), is a genus of roughly 80 species of annual and perennial herbaceous flowering plants. It was named by Carl Linnaeus and is the only genus in the family Tropaeolaceae. The nasturtiums received their common name because they produce an oil that is similar to that of watercress (''Nasturtium officinale''). The genus ''Tropaeolum'', native to South and Central America, includes several very popular garden plants, the most commonly grown being ''T. majus'', ''T. peregrinum'' and ''T. speciosum''. One of the hardiest species is ''T. polyphyllum'' from Chile, the perennial roots of which can survive the winter underground at altitudes of 3,300 metres (10,000 ft). Plants in this genus have showy, often intensely bright flowers, and rounded, peltate (shield-shaped) leaves with the petiole in the centre. The flowers are bisexual and zygomorphic, with five petals, a superior three-carpelled ovary, and a funnel-shaped nectar spur at the back, formed by modification of one of the five sepals. ==History== The first ''Tropaeolum'' species was imported into Spain by the Spanish botanist Nicolás Monardes. He published an account in 1569 entitled ''Joyful News out of the Newe Founde Worlde'' in which he described, among other things, the plants and animals discovered in South America. The English herbalist John Gerard reports having received seeds of the plant from Europe in his 1597 book ''Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes''. ''Tropaeolum majus'' was named by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, who chose the genus name because the plant reminded him of an ancient custom. After victory in battle, the Romans used to set up a trophy pole called a tropaeum (from the Greek tropaion, source of English "trophy"). On this the armour and weapons of the vanquished foe were hung. Linnaeus was reminded of this by the plant as the round leaves resembled shields and the flowers, blood-stained helmets. Nasturtiums were once known commonly as "Indian cresses" because they were introduced from the Americas, known popularly then as the Indies, and used like cress as salad ingredients. John Gerard called the plant "Indian Cresses" in his herbal. He wrote: "unto the backe part (of the flower) doth hange a taile or spurre, such as hath the Larkes heele, called in Latine ''Consolida regalis''.〔 He was comparing the flowers of Indian cress to those of forking larkspur (''Consolida regalis'') of the buttercup family.〔 J R R Tolkien commented that an alternative anglicization of the name was "nasturtian" rather than "nasturtium". 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Tropaeolum」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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