Cannaceae FAMILY

Canna edulis

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Canna edulis is an erect, herbaceous, perennial plant producing clumps of stems up to 3 metres tall with large leaves up to 60cm long and 18cm wide. The stems arise from a very large, thick and tuber-like rhizome[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ]. With its large leaves sheathing a central stem, the plant has the appearance somewhat like a small banana plant. The plant is cultivated for its edible root in the Tropics[ 46 Title Dictionary of Economic Plants. Publication Author Uphof. J. C. Th. Publisher Weinheim Year 1959 ISBN - Description An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader. , 196 Title Lost Crops of the Incas Publication Author Popenoe. H. et al Publisher National Academy Press Year 1990 ISBN 0-309-04264-X Description An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America. ]. In tropical regions this species has sometimes escaped from cultivation and become a weed[ 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate; tropical

Native RangeS. America - Argentina, northwards through S. America and C. America to Mexico; Caribbean.

HabitatBy the coast and in temperate valleys of the Andes[ 97 Title The Ethno-Botany of Pre-Columbian Peru. Publication Author Towle. M. A. Publisher Aldine Publishing Co. Chicago. Year 1961 ISBN Description A very interesting book covering quite a lot of information on plant uses in S. America although many of the plants are not suitable for temperate areas. ]. Moist or wet thickets, sometimes in rather open forest, often in secondary growth, usually at lower elevations but ascending to 2,500 metres in Guatemala[ 196 Title Lost Crops of the Incas Publication Author Popenoe. H. et al Publisher National Academy Press Year 1990 ISBN 0-309-04264-X Description An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America. , 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ].