Family: Cannaceae
Author: L.
Bibliography: Sp. Pl.: 1 (1753)
Year: 1753
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Canna
Vegetable: False
Observations: Trop. & Subtrop. America
Description
The African arrowroot, scientifically known as Canna indica, is a remarkable species within the family Cannaceae. First described by the renowned botanist Carl Linnaeus in his seminal work, “Species Plantarum” in 1753, Canna indica is notable for its striking appearance and versatile applications.
This plant thrives predominantly in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, showcasing its adaptability to a variety of climates and soils. Characterized by its bold, vibrant flowers and lush, green foliage, the African arrowroot adds an exotic touch to gardens and landscapes. The flowers typically boast shades ranging from red to orange, making it a visually appealing plant for ornamental purposes.
Aside from its aesthetic value, Canna indica plays a significant role in various cultural and practical applications. In some regions, its rhizomes are harvested for their starch content, evident in its common name, “African arrowroot.” The starchy rhizomes can be processed into a flour that serves as a food source. Additionally, parts of the plant are used in traditional medicine and as a fodder crop, highlighting its multifaceted utility.
Cultivating Canna indica can be relatively straightforward, provided the plant is grown in well-drained soil and receives ample sunlight. It can be propagated through seeds or by dividing its rhizomes, making it accessible for both amateur gardeners and professional horticulturists.
In summary, Canna indica or African arrowroot stands out not only for its beauty but also for its diverse uses and adaptability. Its widespread presence across tropical and subtropical America underscores its significance and the historical attention it has garnered since Linnaeus’ documentation in the 18th century.
Common Names
Eng: african arrowroot, indian shot, indian-shot, queensland arrowroot, sierra leone arrowroot, edible canna, purple arrowroot, cannon, canna lily
Fra: canna, balisier comestible, tous-les-mois
Ita: canna dell’india
Afr: indiese kanna
Deu: westindisches blumenrohr, eßbares blumenrohr
Spa: achira, caña comestible, gruya, platanillo, yuquilla
Por: araruta-bastarda, caeté, caité-de-thallo-roxo, cana-da-india, conteira, parirí, roca-viana
Swe: röd arrowrot
En: African arrowroot, Indian-shot, Queensland arrowroot, Purple arrowroot, Sierra Leone arrowroot, Edible canna, Indian Reed, Indian Shot, Achira, Australian arrowroot, Calenda, English shot, Red canna, Saka siri, Tous-les-mois arrowroot, Small-flowered canna, Cannon, Canna lily, African arrowfoot, Canna, Gruya, Yellow canna, Canna lilly
Af: Indiese kanna
Ar: قنا هندي
Hy: Կաննա հնդկական
Be: Канна індыйская
Bn: কলাবতী
My: ဗုဒ္ဓသရဏပင်
Ca: Canya d’Índia
Zh: 白花曇花, 白蓮蕉花, 紅花美人蕉, 紫葉美人蕉, 美人蕉
Hr: Narančasti kok
Cs: Dosna indická
Nl: Indisch Bloemriet
Fi: Intiankanna
Fr: Balisier comestible, Tous-les-mois, Canna, Canna des Indes, Balisier rouge, Toloman, Safran marron, Conflore
De: Eßbares Blumenrohr, Westindisches Blumenrohr, Achira, Australische Canna, Australische Pfeilwurz, Blumenrohr, Essbare Canna, Essbares Blumenrohr, Fleischfarbiges Blumenrohr, Kapacho, Scharlachrotes Blumenrohr, Indisches Blumenrohr
Hi: कर्दळ
Hu: Rózsanád
It: Canna d’India, Canna dell’India
Lt: Indinė kana
Ml: തോട്ടവാഴ
Mr: कर्दळ
Fa: اختر
Pl: Paciorecznik indyjski
Pt: Caeté, Caité de thallo roxo, Parirí, Araruta-bastarda, Caité-de-thallo-roxo, Cana-da-india, Conteira, Roca-viana, Albará, Araruta de porco, Bananeirinha da India, Bananeirinha da India de flor, Biru-manso, Birú manso
Pt-br: Beri, Albará, Caeté-dos-jardins, Cana-da-Índia, Bananeirinha-da-Índia, Bananeirinha-de-flor
Qu: Achira
Ru: Канна индийская
Sd: عقيق
Si: බුත්සරණ
Sk: Kana indická
Es: Achira, Caña comestible, Gruya, Platanillo, Yuquilla, Caliguate, Caña de las Indias, Platanillo de Cuba, Chupa flor
Sv: Röd arrowrot
Ty: Re’a pua’aniho
Zh-tw: 美人蕉
Th: พุทธรักษากินหัว
To: Misimisi
Zh-hant: 美人蕉
: Indian shot
Synonyms
- Canna altensteinii (Bouché)
- Canna porteana (André)
- Canna laeta (Bouché)
- Canna rendatleri (G.Nicholson)
- Canna indica var. warszewiczii (Nob.Tanaka)
- Canna sanguinea (Bouché)
- Canna pallida (Roscoe)
- Canna indica var. nepalensis ((Bouché) Baker)
- Canna limbata var. hybrida (Année ex André)
- Canna indica var. rubra (Aiton)
- Canna ellipticifolia var. coccinea ((Mill.) Stokes)
- Canna concinna (Bouché)
- Canna purpurea-spectabilis (Année ex Chaté)
- Canna speciosa (Roscoe ex Sims)
- Canna sanctae-rosae (Kraenzl.)
- Canna lutea var. maculata ((Hook.) Regel)
- Canna caledonis-peltata (Chaté)
- Canna bifida (Roem. & Schult.)
- Canna ehrenbergii (Bouché)
- Canna lutea var. genuina (Kraenzl.)
- Canna densifolia (Bouché)
- Canna indica var. maculata (Hook.)
- Canna aureovittata (G.Lodd.)
- Canna variegata (Bouché)
- Canna ellipticifolia var. rubra (Stokes)
- Canna orientalis var. flavescens ((Link) Baker)
- Canna humilis (Bouché)
- Canna expansa (Année ex André)
- Canna portoricensis (Bouché)
- Canna surinamensis (Bouché)
- Canna lutea var. aurantiaca ((Roscoe) Regel)
- Canna recurvata (Bouché)
- Canna floribunda (Bouché)
- Canna lanuginosa (Roscoe)
- Canna spectabilis (Bouché)
- Canna indica var. flava ((Roscoe) Baker)
- Canna indica f. rubroaurantiaca (Makino)
- Canna xalapensis (Bouché)
- Canna ellipticifolia var. lutea ((Mill.) Stokes)
- Canna indica var. speciosa (Baker)
- Canna roscoeana (Bouché)
- Canna vanhouttei (Lierv. ex André)
- Canna cearensis (Huber)
- Canna commutata (Bouché)
- Canna indica var. patens (Aiton)
- Canna expansa-rubra (G.Nicholson)
- Canna chinensis (Willd.)
- Canna eximia (Bouché ex Horan.)
- Canna maxima (Lodd. ex Roscoe)
- Canna juncea (Retz.)
- Canna flavescens (Link)
- Canna peruviana-spectabilis (Année ex Chaté)
- Canna rubricaulis (Link)
- Canna ellipticifolia (Stokes)
- Canna lutea (Mill.)
- Canna musifolia sanguinea (Hend. & Andr.Hend.)
- Canna coccinea var. limbata (Regel)
- Canna esculenta (G.Don)
- Canna ventricosa (Bouché)
- Canna coccinea f. flaviflora (Chodat & Hassl.)
- Canna barbadica (Bouché)
- Canna plurituberosa (T.Koyama & Nob.Tanaka)
- Canna leptochila (Bouché)
- Canna heliconiifolia (Bouché)
- Canna orientalis (Bouché)
- Canna coccinea var. floribunda ((Bouché) Regel)
- Canna coccinea var. concolor (Regel)
- Canna aurantiaca (Roscoe)
- Canna variegatifolia (Ciciar.)
- Canna polymorpha (Bouché)
- Canna musifolia-hybrida (Année ex André)
- Canna moritziana (Bouché)
- Canna pulchra (Bouché ex Horan.)
- Canna houlletii (André)
- Canna sulphurea (Bouché)
- Canna warszewiczii (A.Dietr.)
- Canna discolor var. rubripunctata (Nob.Tanaka)
- Canna ellipticifolia var. patens ((Aiton) Stokes)
- Canna peruviana (Année ex André)
- Canna warszewiczii var. flameus (Ram.Goyena)
- Canna bihorellii (G.Nicholson)
- Canna cinnabarina (Bouché)
- Canna indica var. limbata ((Regel) Petersen)
- Canna exigua (Bouché)
- Canna pentaphylla (D.Dietr.)
- Canna tineoi (Tod.)
- Canna lavallei (André)
- Canna occidentalis (Ker Gawl.)
- Canna atronigricans (André)
- Canna indica var. karsteniana (Regel)
- Canna saturate-rubra (Bouché ex K.Koch)
- Canna rubra (Willd.)
- Canna gaboniensis (Chaté)
- Canna elegans (Raf.)
- Canna maculata ((Hook.) Link)
- Canna patens ((Aiton) Roscoe)
- Canna sellowii (Bouché)
- Canna peruviana-purpurea (Année ex Chaté)
- Canna fuchsina (Ciciar.)
- Xyphostylis lutea ((Mill.) Raf.)
- Canna patens var. limbata ((Regel) Baker)
- Canna indica var. saturaterubra (Regel)
- Canna coccinea var. bicolor (Kraenzl.)
- Canna brasiliensis (Roscoe ex Spreng.)
- Canna discolor (Lindl.)
- Distemon brasiliensis ((Roscoe ex Spreng.) Bouché)
- Canna bidentata (Bertol.)
- Canna crocea (Roem. & Schult.)
- Canna thyrsiflora (Hegetschw.)
- Canna limbata (Roscoe)
- Canna zebrina (Année ex André)
- Canna compacta (Roscoe)
- Canna polyclada (Wawra)
- Canna montana (Blume)
- Canna lambertii (Lindl. ex Ker Gawl.)
- Canna indica var. lutea ((Mill.) Aiton)
- Canna lutea var. pallida ((Roscoe) Regel)
- Canna fulgida (Bouché)
- Canna robusta (Année ex André)
- Canna indica subsp. orientalis (Baker)
- Canna coccinea (Mill.)
- Canna discolor var. viridifolia (Nob.Tanaka)
- Canna tenuiflora (Bouché ex A.Dietr.)
- Canna carnea (Roscoe)
- Canna indica var. edwardsii (Regel)
- Cannacorus ovatus (Moench)
- Canna indica var. sanctae-rosae ((Kraenzl.) Nob.Tanaka)
- Canna ascendens (Ciciar.)
- Canna indica var. variegata (Regel)
- Canna rotundifolia (André)
- Canna macrophylla (Horan.)
- Canna indica var. coccinea ((Mill.) Aiton)
- Canna schubertii (Horan.)
- Canna peruviana-robusta (Année ex Chaté)
- Canna textoria (Noronha)
- Canna platyphylla (Nees & Mart.)
- Canna zebrina nana (André)
- Canna orientalis var. flava (Roscoe)
- Canna edulis (Ker Gawl.)
- Canna denudata var. grandis (Petersen)
- Canna variabilis (Willd.)
- Canna pallida var. maculata ((Hook.) Roscoe)
- Canna texensis (Regel)
- Canna aurantiaca splendida (Année ex André)
- Distemon grandis (Horan.)
- Canna musifolia-edulis (André)
- Canna poeppigii (Bouché)
- Canna lagunensis (Lindl.)
- Canna formosa (Bouché)
- Canna pruinosa (Hoffmanns.)
- Canna indica var. orientalis (Baker)
- Canna insignis (G.Nicholson)
- Canna nepalensis (Bouché)
- Canna heliconiifolia var. xalapensis ((Bouché) Kraenzl.)
- Canna musifolia (Année ex Chaté)
- Canna achiras (Gillies ex D.Don)
- Canna seleriana (Kraenzl.)
- Canna liervalii (André)
- Canna amabilis (T.Koyama & Nob.Tanaka)
- Cannacorus indicus ((L.) Medik.)
Distribution
- Argentina Northeast (native)
- Argentina Northwest (native)
- Bahamas (native)
- Belize (native)
- Bolivia (native)
- Brazil North (native)
- Brazil Northeast (native)
- Brazil South (native)
- Brazil Southeast (native)
- Brazil West-Central (native)
- Colombia (native)
- Costa Rica (native)
- Cuba (native)
- Dominican Republic (native)
- Ecuador (native)
- El Salvador (native)
- Florida (native)
- French Guiana (native)
- Guatemala (native)
- Guyana (native)
- Haiti (native)
- Honduras (native)
- Jamaica (native)
- Leeward Is. (native)
- Louisiana (native)
- Mexico Central (native)
- Mexico Gulf (native)
- Mexico Northeast (native)
- Mexico Southeast (native)
- Mexico Southwest (native)
- Nicaragua (native)
- Panamá (native)
- Paraguay (native)
- Peru (native)
- Puerto Rico (native)
- South Carolina (native)
- Suriname (native)
- Texas (native)
- Trinidad-Tobago (native)
- Uruguay (native)
- Venezuela (native)
- Windward Is. (native)
- Alabama (introduced)
- Andaman Is. (introduced)
- Angola (introduced)
- Arkansas (introduced)
- Ascension (introduced)
- Assam (introduced)
- Austria (introduced)
- Azores (introduced)
- Bangladesh (introduced)
- Benin (introduced)
- Bermuda (introduced)
- Bismarck Archipelago (introduced)
- Cambodia (introduced)
- Canary Is. (introduced)
- Cape Verde (introduced)
- Caroline Is. (introduced)
- Central African Repu (introduced)
- Chad (introduced)
- China South-Central (introduced)
- China Southeast (introduced)
- Christmas I. (introduced)
- Comoros (introduced)
- Cook Is. (introduced)
- East Himalaya (introduced)
- Equatorial Guinea (introduced)
- Ethiopia (introduced)
- Fiji (introduced)
- Gabon (introduced)
- Galápagos (introduced)
- Gambia (introduced)
- Gilbert Is. (introduced)
- Guinea (introduced)
- Guinea-Bissau (introduced)
- Gulf of Guinea Is. (introduced)
- Hainan (introduced)
- Hawaii (introduced)
- India (introduced)
- Japan (introduced)
- Jawa (introduced)
- Juan Fernández Is. (introduced)
- Kenya (introduced)
- Laos (introduced)
- Madagascar (introduced)
- Madeira (introduced)
- Malawi (introduced)
- Malaya (introduced)
- Marquesas (introduced)
- Mozambique (introduced)
- Myanmar (introduced)
- Nepal (introduced)
- New Caledonia (introduced)
- New South Wales (introduced)
- Nigeria (introduced)
- Norfolk Is. (introduced)
- Ogasawara-shoto (introduced)
- Philippines (introduced)
- Pitcairn Is. (introduced)
- Portugal (introduced)
- Queensland (introduced)
- Samoa (introduced)
- Santa Cruz Is. (introduced)
- Senegal (introduced)
- Society Is. (introduced)
- Solomon Is. (introduced)
- Southwest Caribbean (introduced)
- Spain (introduced)
- Sri Lanka (introduced)
- St.Helena (introduced)
- Taiwan (introduced)
- Tanzania (introduced)
- Thailand (introduced)
- Togo (introduced)
- Tonga (introduced)
- Tuamotu (introduced)
- Tubuai Is. (introduced)
- Tunisia (introduced)
- Uganda (introduced)
- Vietnam (introduced)
- Wallis-Futuna Is. (introduced)
- Zambia (introduced)
- Zaïre (introduced)
- Zimbabwe (introduced)
Additional Images
Leaf
Taken Sep 15, 2018 by jose (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 2, 2017 by Fejul Xeto (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 30, 2018 by Manu Pacha (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 30, 2018 by Manu Pacha (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 6, 2018 by Tof Tof (cc-by-sa)
Fruit
Taken Aug 8, 2017 by 1 (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 2, 2018 by Pep Secem (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 10, 2018 by marig (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 1, 2017 by Fejul Xeto (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 7, 2017 by 1 (cc-by-sa)
Flower
Taken Aug 8, 2017 by 1 (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 8, 2017 by 1 (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 8, 2017 by 1 (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 27, 2018 by Jonathan Kenny Miñan Rojas (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 3, 2017 by sales Vanessa (cc-by-sa)
Habit
Taken Nov 3, 2021 by Jacques Zuber (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 23, 2022 by Ya Lama (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 23, 2022 by Ya Lama (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 2, 2018 by Pep Secem (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 5, 2018 by Émile Maurice (cc-by-sa)
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Bark
Taken Sep 28, 2021 by matarrita Gomez (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 7, 2021 by Maarten Vanhove (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 28, 2021 by Philippe Cambier (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 8, 2017 by 1 (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 3, 2017 by Fejul Xeto (cc-by-sa)
Other
Taken Mar 9, 2013 by Daniel Barthelemy (cc-by-nc)
Taken Nov 18, 2020 by Tyrone Edmunds (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 20, 2022 by شهاب الدين جابر (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 20, 2019 by Ilona Sychevska (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 19, 2019 by Marta Naharro i Via (cc-by-sa)
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/8034409)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:319130-2)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Canna indica L.)
Specifications
Growth habit: Forb/herb
Growth
