CANNA ORIENTALIS. 
MONANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 
SECT. I. CANN. 
Guy. Cuar.—Anther single, attached to the margin of the petal-like filament; style erect, club-shaped ; stigma an 
obtuse scale; capsule three-celled ; seeds numerous. 
Spec. Cuar.—Upper lip of the interior limb of corolla in three sections; sections lanceolate, erect, unequal, bidentate 
at the apex; lower lip bifid ; outer limb of corolla reflexed ; leaves broad-lanceolate ; flowers deep red. 
Syv.—Katu-bala. Rheed. Hort. Mal. vol. xi. p. 85. tab. 43. 
Cannacorus. Rumph. Hort. Amb. vol. v. p. 177. tab. T1. fig. 2. 
Sabbajaya, Sarvajaya. Hind. Colebrooke in Asiat. Res. vol. xi. P822. 
Sarbajaya. The red variety, Lal sarbajaya. Bengal, ibid. 
Catubala, Rana celi. Malab. ibid. 
Danch-tasbih. Malay. ibid. 
Canna indica. Leaves ovate-lanceolate; segments of the inner border of the corolla lanceolate and bidentate. 
Roxb. Asiut. Res. vol. xi. p. 322. Flor. Ind. i. p. i. 
Lal Surva-juya, the red variety. hid. 
Canna Chinensis, calycis foliolis lanceolatis, acutis, corolla sexpartita, laciniis exterioribus demum reflexis ; 
foliis ovato-oblongis, utrinque acutis, costatis. Willd: Enum: Berol. tom. i. Dae 
DESCRIPTION. 
Root tuberous with many fibres; stems four feet high; leaves alternate, broad-ovate-lanceolate ; petioles 
caniculated, winged, decurrent ; spike erect; flowers rising from a long green sheath or general bracte ; partial 
bracte small, cuneate, membranous, deciduous ; calyx superior, persistent, in three equal, lanceolate, acute 
segments ; outer limb of the corolla in three nearly equal, lanceolate, acute segments, one or more of them generally 
reflexed, dull red; upper lip of the interior limb in three segments, lanceolate, unequal, emarginate, or bidentate at 
the apex, bright red; lower lip linear, revolute, bifid, or notched at the apex, yellow with red streaks ; filament 
smaller than the sections of the corolla, linear, reflexed; anther simple, long, linear, affixed to the margin of the 
filament ; style erect, spatulate, obtuse ; stigma a scale ; capsule rugose, seeds numerous, black. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
This is the Canna of the East Indies, and together with its yellow variety, is, according to Dr. Roxburgh, 
the only species known in that country. v. Asiat. Res. vol. xi. p- 322. Flor. Ind. vol. i. p. 1. A much finer 
species has, however, since been discovered in Nipal, which will be found in this work, under the name of 
Canna. speciosa. 
That the Canna indica of the East is a very different plant from the Canna indica of the western world 
is now ascertained beyond a doubt ; and that the latter is the plant known in Europe under that name, may appear 
from what has been stated in the description of it in the present work. Rumphius also observes, that the plant 
cultivated in Europe, is said to have been raised from seed brought from the West Indies. ‘ In Europam dicitur 
hanc plantam fuisse deductam, per semen ex Indiis occidéntalibus.’ Hort. Amb. vol. v. p. 177. That these plants 
have hitherto been considered as the same species, must, however, be allowed; and the figures and descriptions of 
Piso and Marcgrave, of Van Rheede and Rumpbius, of Linnzus and Dillenius, of Thunberg and of Sabbati, have 
been promiscuously referred to, although the plants they describe are essentially and specifically distinct from each 
other. Even in the last edition of Linnzeus, by Willdenow, we find it stated that the Canna indica, “ habitat inter 
tropicos Asize Africee et Americ ;” and in the Hort. Kewensis, it is said that it is a native of both Indies. Nor does 
it appear that any doubt a8 'to'the identity of the eastern’ and western species, has hitherto been entertained. 
