Capucine tubéreuse

Tuberous Nasturtium, Tropaeolum tuberosum, a species of the family Tropaeolaceae. Having an edible tuber, it is cultivated in its area of origin: the Andes. The flower’s red-orange colour indicates pollination in all likelihood by hummingbirds, which are attracted to red, fragrance-free flowers, with a deep corolla and producing abundant nectar stored at the base of the corolla. The flowers are also edible. The entire plant has a slightly hot taste reminiscent of mustard. It comes from the high isothiocyanate content, which confers the plants’ natural resistance to herbivores.