CANNA LIMBATA. 



The best soil is rather strong, but porous loam, mixed with one-third part 

 of well-rotted dung. It maybe readily increased by the division of the roots, 

 and also by seeds. 



It may be interesting to those of our readers who have gardens, and who are 

 anxious, of course, to have them decorated with showy plants, and in as great 

 variety as possible, to be informed that many species of Canna may be planted 

 into the open ground in June, if they have been previously and gradually har- 

 dened. In such situations they will not only succeed remarkably well, but will 

 frequently endure mild winters. In order to fit them for such a transition, they 

 should be removed some time previously to flowering, from the stove to the 

 greenhouse, and, if practicable, to the frame-pit. They should, when planted 

 out for such purposes, be placed in a warm south situation, where they are shel- 

 tered from both the north-east and west winds. 



The natural order to which Canna belongs, is Marantacece, or the arrow-root 

 tribe, the fleshy roots of which abound in a nutritive faecula, which is highly 

 esteemed as a mild and delicate article of food. It is obtained not only from 

 Maranta Arundinacea (the original species), but from several other species in 

 the East and West Indies. The fleshy roots of some of the Cannas are also said 

 to be eaten in Peru. The juice of Maranta Arundinacea is reported to be very 

 eflicacious in the cure of wounds inflicted by the poisoned arrows of the Indians ; 

 whence its name. 



The plants of this order are closely allied to the Scitaminea, or Zingiberacea 

 (the ginger tribe), with which they were formerly united. They differ, however, 

 not only in some important points of structure, but also in their properties. 

 The roots of all of them are fleshy, and contain abundance of nutritive fsecula ; 

 but. while, in the ginger tribe, it is combined with a warm aromatic principle, 

 for which it is highly valued ; the arrow-root tribe is remarkable, on the other 

 hand, for the total absence of that principle, and is esteemed accordingly. For 

 these reasons they have been separated into two distinct tribes, as originally 

 proposed by Dr. Brown. A splendid monograph was devoted to these plants by 

 the late Mr. Roscoe. 



They are natives, chiefly, of the Tropics. By far the greater number are " 

 found in the East, some in the West Indies, some in Africa, and some in Tro- 

 pical America. 



