Classification
Regnum:
Plantae
Divisio:
Magnoliophyta
Classis:
Magnoliopsida
Ordo:
Caryophyllales
Familia:
Portulacaceae
Genus:
Talinum
Spesies:
Talinum triangulare (Jacq.) Wild.
Synonymous:
Talinum fruticosum (L.) Juss.
Local Name: Krokot Belanda
Habit:
Herb
Characteristic: The plant grows erect with small pink flowers and fleshy leaves
Distribution: Tropical America
Benefit: Ornamental plant
Location:
perpustakaan UPI
IUCN
Status: NE (Not Evaluated)
Description
Talinum triangulare is an erect,
glabrous perennial herb up to 80(–100) cm tall, usually strongly branched;
roots swollen and fleshy; stem succulent, obtuse-angular to terete. Leaves
alternate, simple, almost sessile, succulent; stipules absent; blade obovate
to spatulate, 3–15 cm × 1–6 cm, base long-tapering, apex rounded to notched,
mucronate, entire, venation pinnate, indistinct. Inflorescence a terminal
cyme on a triangular stalk up to 12 cm long. Flowers bisexual, regular;
pedicel c. 1 cm long, recurving in fruit; sepals 2, free, with 3 prominent
veins; petals 5, free, obovate, up to 1 cm long, pink; stamens numerous;
ovary superior, 1-celled, style slender, with 3-branched stigma exceeding
stamens. Fruit a globose to ellipsoid capsule 4–7 mm long, 3-valved,
elastically dehiscent, many-seeded. Seeds compressed globose-reniform, c. 1
mm long, tuberculate, shining black.
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Talinum comprises about 40 species, most
of them found in Mexico and southern United States, and 7 species in tropical
Africa. Talinum triangulare is sometimes confused with Talinum
portulacifolium, but the latter differs by its paniculate inflorescence
with terete axis, sepals not prominently veined and smooth seeds.
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The
onset of flowering does not appear to affect leaf or shoot production. Plants
take 40–75 days to flower from stem planting, and at flowering they have 4–9
branches and 25–90 leaves. Waterleaf is recorded as being self-pollinated
with a limited degree of out-crossing. Fruiting takes 75–80 days from stem
planting. Under natural conditions, plants will live for 4–6 months.
Waterleaf is relatively tolerant to drought. Exposed to drought it adopts a
crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), resulting in an effective use of
available moisture, carbon dioxide assimilation continuing during the night
and increased growth.
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Waterleaf
grows best under humid conditions at temperatures of about 30°C. Growth is
very fast during the rainy season but will slow down considerably during the
dry season. It grows well under shade and in cloudy weather. It can grow in
fully exposed localities, but there plants remain smaller. Growth is most
profuse when the water content of the soil is close to field capacity. High
temperatures (>35°C) and drought negatively affect the number of leaves,
leaf area, stem size, and number of branches.
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