Re: Cannas

Tristram Smyth wrote:
> Can I seek the collective wisdom of the list about these admirable
> plants? As I thought I understood it, there were two main species -
> C*generalis and C*orchioides. But there now seem to be such a
> bewildering array of interbred cultivars that I guess this is
> distinction has been lost.

Actually, according to Flora, CC generalis and orchioides are neither
true species but names originally given to some of the early hybrids.
The book describes the parentage of the hybrids in general as "complex and obscure".

Of the nine known true species just three are described: C. glauca has
bluish-greeen leaves and large pale yellow flowers and C. iridiflora
beautiful large rich pink flowers with an orange centre. The latter is
apparently an important parent of hybrids and both, unlike the hybrids, are only half hardy.

Canna indica (syn edulis)  is the edible canna or Queensland
Arrowroot. The perennial rhizome is I think the edible part, but I have
not heard of  humans eating it, though I once came across it in Africa
where it was being grown as animal feed.

I already dealt with the question of hardiness in another posting.
>
> Tristram (from the UK where the sun is seen this summer more rarely
> than Osama bin Laden)

Join the club! We have had two dud summers in a row here, the second enlivened by an unprecedented (fifty-year rated) flood in February which is normally both hot and dry (those in the northern hemisphere think August)

Moira

--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ.     Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES ADDED 4/Feb/2004

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