in a tenmnal i 

 3 loeuUcl 111 1 - 

 s, 3 and --iii ill 



CANNA 



me or iiiniclt , ve^^ ineirnlar capsule 

 1 il-iiiiii\ s, , 1 lip Fu' 110), sepals, 

 1 11^ ill _i. II I t N ! lic, mostly 

 1 -I n I 111 t\li single and 

 IIS II I I I s lit 1 l.\ p. tal like, ob- 

 tii st hhiiumIi I <i ml', -I or :J of which 

 pruduted and broadened, and one is 

 ower and forms the lip of the flower, 

 irne m a single loculed anther, f, borne 

 mrrow and more or less coUed stami- 



OU th. SI 



A generation ago, Cannas were grown for their 

 foliage or mass-effect. They were tall and long- 

 jointed, with small and late flowers (Fig. 347). 

 The parent of the old-time garden race of tall 

 Cannas was C. Antiai, raised by M. Anni?e, of 

 France, from seeds of C. ^e- 

 palensis, sown in 1848. The 

 flowers from which the seeds 

 were taken probably had been 

 pollinated by some other spe- /^.j! 



cies, most likely with C. </?«»<•(/, i\\ 



In 1803, a new race apppareii. j^ ,'^-% ^ 

 as the result of tlir unimi of i '. pSil.-*^^ 

 iridiflora with C. W'lr.- . ,<,-:,,. ^"J^ 

 This hybrid 

 Ehemunni 



flowercil I'll:-. I : ■ 

 known:,- III 

 origin ; ,i. - i 



another im , i 

 gamati.iii > : , i 

 den forms :iii.i \\ nh < ', 

 come mostly from Italy a 

 Cannas; also, asorchid-ll. 

 ers are characterized by 

 outlines, but they are si 

 „r.'th.. vnri..ti"s Italia (Fi 



thi. 



, Pandora, Burbank and niln i- 

 he evolution of the garden Caimi- 

 Tourn. Roy. Hort. Soc, Jan.. Is!" I 

 ant-Breeding, 140 ; also, parti, ii 

 story of the Italian race, Revui 

 516, and Gardeners' Chronicle 



Horticole, 1895, 

 Dec. 14, 1895. 



The culture of Cannas is simple and easy. They 

 demand a warm, friable, rich and moist soil. They 

 are injured by frost, and therefore should not be 

 planted out until the weather is thoroughly settled. 

 For mass effects, set the plants not more than 1 

 foot apart each way; but if it is desired to show 

 IndiTidual plants and their flowers at fh.- l..-t, 

 give three times that amount of ro..iii t.. a -in-l. 

 plant. Pick the flowers as soon as tli. y \\ilf. to 

 prevent the formation of seeds {wliidi i-au-i s thr 

 plant to lessen flowering), and keep the plants in 

 tidy condition. If the best plants are desired, give 

 the soil and treatment which produce the best re- 

 sults with In.liau corn. „, " 



•Xi « Miii. •;. - :iii I i-,.,l from seeds. The seeds f.'""' 

 1. . and sometimes not at all, _„ 



M nil. lit is cut or filed, or is „ /^' 



siiiMiiiil ii> -.iii;,-._: II water; those precautions "°''' 

 taUu, Ihcy y,-il.,ii,.,i. irii.-l:'- s;.,.„ l,,.,, ;., ...i.^tr-r, i-i 

 rather strong buttoui loat. . "i- -■ '.•■ -' i' - r ]■.■'- I'r;- ' 

 out, and give plenty of 1 M.I I i 



Cannas are propairatcd i,, . ^ i 



rootstock is a bram-Iiy ma--, wiiii niii._. I.'l:. IuhI-. If 

 stock is not abundant, as luauy plants may ho made from 

 a rootstock as there are buds, although the weak buds 

 produce weak plants. Leave as much tissue as possible 

 With each bud. These 1-bud parts usually give best re- 



CANNA 



suits if started in pots, so that the plant is 6-12 in. high 

 at planting time. The commercial Canna plants are grown 

 mostly in pots. If one has sufficient roots, however, it 

 is better not to cut so close, but to leave several strong 

 buds on each piece (as shown in Fi?. ri.il). These pieces 

 may be planted directly in tlio i-rMim,], altlioujh more 

 certain results are to be seen r..! i- •■"■:. 'lo-m in the 

 house in boxes or pots. If sn... . i,. desired, 



particularly in shrub borders. 1 ; ..mt the en- 



tire stool. In the fall, when iIm_ ; 1 au: - an- killed by 

 frost and the tops have dried a few days, dig the roots, 

 and let them dry as if they were potatoes. 

 Then store them on shelves in a cellar 

 which will keep Irish or round potatoes 

 " Take care that the roots do not be- 

 come too warm, particularly be- 

 fore cold weather sets in ; nor 

 too moist. Well cured roots 

 f'-.im \vi II iiiatiir. .1 plants usu- 

 •^ iM- K.i.p \\ ill... lit .lirticulty. 



I iiiiia- ar.. ....iiiiuonly used 



Ml t.iriiial Ih. (is. but most 

 I I lliiii I ii,....ts may be se- 



;■ lii . -I aiii-ring themsingly 

 ■ : 11 -mall clumps in the 



I Oil III . 1 1 I' or amongst shrub- 

 Ill y\. .\-:iiiist a heavy back- 

 },'r.,uiid of green, the gaudy 

 flowers show to their best, and 

 the ragged effect of the dying 

 1 not noticed. They also make 

 eUent center-pieces for formal beds. 

 The tall-growing Cannas, with small and 

 late flowers, have given way almost 

 wholly to the modem race of Crozy or 

 ^^ ^^■> French dwarf Cannas. whi.-h usii'ally 

 remain under 4 ft. bi-li. I'l.' .m aii 

 abundance of large early flowers. ' i . ,il- 

 ways mu.st be used for bold plai' l.-- 



cause the flowers have not suflicii i- .iuiiiiiny to 

 ii ii-i'ful as cut flowers. As individual bloo'ms, 

 lowers are not usually attractive, but they are 

 y and interesting in the mass and at a dis- 

 I hi o. The new race of Italian or Flaccida Cannas 

 has more attractive flowers, but even these are 

 most useful when on the plant. Of varieties there 

 are legion, and many new ones are imported each 

 year, chiefly from France; and there are so many 

 new aspirants each year that it is not worth while 

 to enumerate varieties in a cyclopedia. 



The garden Cannas are now so much varied and 

 inter-bred that it is no longer possible to classify 

 them by the characters of the species. One of the 

 best classiflcatory schemes is the following ( adapted 

 from G. cm. 14:432): 

 I. Tall varieties. 



c. Minor flower-segments narrow. 

 cc. Minor flower-segments broad. 

 BB. Bicolor forms, in which the lip is of a dif- 

 ferent color from the other segments. 

 Divided into c and d-, as above. 

 BBB. Spotted varieties. Including c and cc, as 

 above. 

 BBBB. Blotched varieties. Including c and CC. 

 BBBBB. Margined varieties. Including c and CO. 

 AA. Foliage purple. Divisions as under A. 

 I. II. Dwarf varieties. Divisions as under I. 



^^ " To many of the garden forms and hybrids spe- 

 ..anna ^ j^^ Latin names have been given ; but the f ollow- 

 °*'* ing synopsis {adapted from Baker's "Synopsis of 

 '°''=- the Species of Cannas," in G.C. III. 13: 42, 70, 164, 

 I'tr,! ■j.i'-rs n L-'Ti^^-ral view of the original species. The 

 'I ii - h r. I lilted for are : aurantiaca, 14; aiireo- 

 I , i."); cinnaharina,G\ coccinea, 6; com- 



. ;; ; II ta, 13; croc«a, 14; densifolia, 5; de- 



<- 1 / ' ", _'o; lii-i .il.ir,19;dJvaWcato.20: edulis, 9; Eliren- 

 benjii, r> ; exrtileiitii, 9 ; excelsa, 20 ; ejrigna. 5 ; Fintel- 

 manni, 3 ; flaccida, 21 ; flavescens, 5 ; floribnnda, 4 ; 

 formosa, 6 ; fulgida, 6 ; gigantea, 7 ; glauca, 10 ; heli- 

 coniffifolia, U ; humilis, 6 ; Indica, 1 ; iridiflora, 22 , 



