Tropaeolum 2012

[Jupiter]

Greetings Tropaeolum enthusiasts everywhere. As I am in the Southern Hemisphere of the globe I will start this thread, in our summer, as there is some activity in the Tropaeolum collection at the moment.

I am in need of some assistance from the Tropaeolum intelligentsia. During a clean out of my nursery recently I threw out some pots which had Tropaeolum seed in them. I know what you're all going to say, be more patient! I should have been. In the container which I use for recycled potting mix I've had two germinations of a mystery Tropaeolum!

Based on their appearance-and what I had sown in those pots- it can only be one of the following species:

T. moritzianum
T. peltophorum
T. smithii
T. tuberosum


I  got germinations of T. moritzianum this season and those plants are quite advanced now, producing flower buds.
These do not look quite like those, but I can't be sure.

I have previously grown T. tuberosum, and I don't think these are quite like those either, at this early stage it is very hard to tell.

[bulborum]

Be patient
and you see when they flower

here the first Tropaeolum is in but
I will post a picture as soon as one opens

Roland

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hello Jupiter,
You must wait a little for identification and post some pictures when your seedlings have a few more leaves.
I don't think it is Tr Smithii.
I've never seen a Tr Tuberosum seedling. You can ask Emiko ( Dora ) for she had succeeded with this one.
It might well be Tr Peltophorum or Tr Moritzianum. The first 2 "leaves" are crenated in these 2 species. Tr Moritzianum usually has  thicker stems than Tr Peltophorum. Tr Peltophorum's stem is often tinted brownish red.
So let's have a look at more aged seedlings for a better accurate identification.
JP

[YT]

The first flower from seed has just bloomed today
Tropaeolum hookerianum subsp. austropurpureum, ex. A. Flores & J. Watson 11310. from JJA Seeds.

[bulborum]

Very nice one YT

does this one make tubers ??

Roland

[YT]

Roland, yes they are. I transplanted about 1cm sized round white tubers last autumn.

[bulborum]

Perfect

I like the colour
does it grow tall if you use wire mesh

Roland

[pehe]

The first flower from seed has just bloomed today
Tropaeolum hookerianum subsp. austropurpureum, ex. A. Flores & J. Watson 11310. from JJA Seeds.

Well done YT!

My Tropaeolum tricolorum looks great right now.

Poul

[YT]

Roland, my plants are in a pot and trained to stalks and wire rings now so I'm not sure how tall do they reach if they climb through wire mesh... about 2m

Thanks Poul Yours are stunning colour combinations

[bulborum]

My Tropaeolum brachyceras is in full bloom
the flowers are tiny
but there are a lot
so a good display
the plant is almost two meter now
growing in mesh-wire

YT maybe we can swap some seeds later this year

Roland

[YT]

Roland, give me a PM later

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

My Tropaeolum brachyceras is in full bloom
the flowers are tiny
but there are a lot
so a good display
the plant is almost two meter now
growing in mesh-wire

YT maybe we can swap some seeds later this year

Roland

Hello Roland,
Very nice flowers indeed but your plant is a hybrid. Few people have the real Tr Brachyceras. The flowers have SHORT spurs and the calyx is green. Anyway I don't have the real species but I've been looking for it for years.
I assume this is a bit "taxonomic" but forumists may be interested in what they are growing.

By the way, this winter has been catastrophic for me ( I grow my plants on balconies ) and losses are countless. Surprisingly young seedlings have been more frost resistant than tubers. I don't know the reason why... And the Andeans ( though planted in a container ) have stood quite well the average -10°C we've experienced for a fortnight. I think plants have also suffered from lack of water ( -4°C / -5°C during the day with strong sunshine ).

[bulborum]

Hello Jean-Patrick

good to hear
do you have the name from this hybrid

I bought it from Dix export in Holland as Tr Brachyceras
it slept three years , the bulbs stayed dormant all that time

last autumn suddenly it started growing
the heater broke down in January
and it was one night -6ºC in the poly-tunnel
a few parts from the plant where frozen

R

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hello Roland,
Unfortunately as it is a hybrid there's no particular name. I think dozens of plants are commonly called Tr Brachyceras but no one ( in the trade ) cares about taxonomy and as for many other plants wrong names are carried on. You can call it Tr Brachyceras hybrid or ssp or ( as I probably wrongly name these plants ) x Brachyceras.
Just take some time to have a look at pictures of Tr Brachyceras flowers on the internet and you'll be really surprised...
JP

[bulborum]

sounds a good Idea
Tropaeolum x brachyceras is an simple solution
at least it tells people that it isn't a real Tropaeolum brachyceras

R