Canna glauca

Rhizomes far-creeping, 0.5–1.5 cm diam. Leaves: sheath and blade glaucous; blade narrowly ovate, 28–70 × 1.5–14 cm, base cuneate, apex very gradually narrowing to acute. Inflorescences racemes, simple or occasionally branched, bearing 2-flowered cincinni, more than 10 flowers per inflorescence; primary bracts 10–30 cm; secondary bracts 5–20 cm; floral bracts persistent, (broadly) ovate-triangular, 0.7–2.5 × 0.4–1 cm, apex entire or irregularly lobed, glaucous; bracteoles (broadly) ovate-triangular, 0.3–2 cm × 4–8 mm, apex entire or irregularly lobed. Flowers pure yellow, 7.5–10 cm; pedicels short, to 0.5 cm; sepals narrowly elliptic-triangular, 1.2–2 × 0.3–0.5 cm; petals erect, 5–9 cm, tube 1–2 cm, lobes narrowly ovate, 4–7 × 0.7–1.1 cm; staminodes 4, narrowly elliptic to narrowly ovate, 7.5–10 cm, free part 0.5–2.3 cm wide, apex sometimes slightly notched; labellum strongly reflexed, linear, approximately equal to other staminodes. Capsules globose to ellipsoid, 2–5 × 2–4 cm. Seeds brown, ovoid, 7–10 × 6–8 mm. 2n = 18.

Phenology: Flowering summer; fruiting summer–fall (Jun–Sep).
Habitat: Margins of marshes, swamps, ponds, and wet ditches
Elevation: 0–100 m

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Fla., La., S.C., Tex., West Indies, Central America, South America.

Discussion

Canna glauca is introduced in Florida and probably in South Carolina.

Selected References

Belling, J. 1931. Chromomeres of liliaceous plants. Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 16: 153---170.

Honing, J. A. 1928. Canna crosses II. Meded. Landbouwhoogeschool 32: 1--14.

Lerman, J. C. and E. M. Cigliano. 1971. New carbon-14 evidence for six hundred years old Canna compacta seed. Nature 232: 568--570.

Yeo, P. F. 1993. Secondary pollen presentation: Form, function and evolution. Pl. Syst. Evol., Suppl. 6: 204--208.

Lower Taxa

None.