Leaves alternate, with sheathing bases; large, pinnately veined with a prominent midrib, decreasing in size upwards; ligule 0
Inflorescence terminal, spicate or thyrsoid; bracts usually small, green
Flowers bisexual, irregular, large
Sepals 3, free, short, ovate to lanceolate, green or subpetaloid, persistent
Petals 3, longer than sepals, shortly connate at base, lanceolate to linear, 1 smaller than others, petaloid
Stamen 1, petaloid, bearing a half anther laterally; staminodes 1-4, petaloid, more conspicuous than petals, one next to stamen forming a lip
Ovary inferior, 3-locular, verrucose with many axile ovules; style petaloid with an oblique terminal stigma
Capsule triangular, verrucose
Seeds usually freed by deterioration of capsular tissues, globose, hard, dark
x = 9
Nomenclature:
*Canna L.
Linnaeus: 1 (1753)
Winkler: 640 (1930)
Distribution & Notes:
Southern Africa: Species 1: Canna indica L. (Indian Shot) naturalised in warm, moist parts, possibly introduced for use of the seeds in rattles; Canna x generalis L.H.Bailey is an occasional garden hybrid
References:
LINNAEUS, C. 1753. Species plantarum. Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm
WINKLER, H. 1930. Cannaceae. Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien, edn 2, 15a
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Welcome to Biodiversity Advisor 2.0!
Biodiversity Advisor, developed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and its Data Partners, is a system that will provide integrated biodiversity information to a wide range of users who will have access to geospatial data, plant and animal species distribution data, ecosystem-level data, literature, images and metadata.
The integrated information comes from our much-loved Botanical Database of Southern Africa (BODATSA) also known as Plants of Southern Africa (POSA), Zoological Database of Southern Africa (ZODATSA), Biodiversity Geographic Information System (BGIS), SANBI's institutional repository (Opus) and others.
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In future, Team SANBI will be able to log in using their day-to-day login details, BGIS users will be able to use their existing accounts and details, and general users will be able to log in using their LinkedIn profile, but for now you will need to create an account.
