Practical
Plants

Canna indica

Indian Shot

a perennial member of the Canna genus in the family Cannaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Cannaceae
Genus
Canna
Life cycle
perennial
Height
1.5 m
Spread
0.6 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

Root - cooked. The source of 'canna starch', used as an arrowroot[12][4]. The arrowroot is obtained by rasping the root to a pulp, then washing and straining to get rid of the fibres[6]. The very young tubers are eaten cooked, they are sweet but fibrousy[97, K]. Roots contain about 25% starch[11]. There is one report that this plant has an edible fruit[4] but this is somewhat dubious, the fruit is a dry capsule containing the very hard seeds[K].

Plant part
Fruit
Product or use
Fruit
Plant part
Root
Preparation
Cooked
Product or use
Flour

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

The plant is used in the treatment of women's complaints[8]. A decoction of the root with fermented rice is used in the treatment of gonorrhoea and amenorrhoea[8]. The plant is also considered to be demulcent, diaphoretic and diuretic[8].

Plant part
Whole
Product or use
Demulcent
Plant part
Whole
Product or use
Diaphoretic
Plant part
Whole
Product or use
Diuretic
Plant part
Whole
Product or use
PMS
Plant part
Root
Preparation
Decoction
Product or use
VD, Gonorrhoea
Plant part
Root
Preparation
Decoction
Product or use
Amenorrhoea

Material uses

The plant yields a fibre - from the stem? - it is a jute substitute[2]. A fibre obtained from the leaves is used for making paper[5]. The leaves are harvested in late summer after the plant has flowered, they are scraped to remove the outer skin and are then soaked in water for 2 hours prior to cooking. The fibres are cooked for 24 hours with lye and then beaten in a blender. They make a light tan brown paper[5]. A purple dye is obtained from the seed[2]. Smoke from the burning leaves is said to be insecticidal[8].

Plant part
Seed
Product or use
Dye
Plant part
Stem
Product or use
Fibre
Plant part
Leaves
Preparation
Smoke
Product or use
Insecticide
Plant part
Leaves
Preparation
Soaked, Cooked, Bleached, Blended
Product or use
Paper

Environment

Range
S. America. W. Indies. Locally naturalized in the warmest parts of S. Europe[10].
Habitat
Original habitat is obscure, but it is found by the coast and in temperate valleys of the Andes[12].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
False
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours in warm water and sow February/March in a warm greenhouse at 20°c[1][3]. Plant the seeds 2 - 5cm deep in individual pots[1]. Scarifying the seed can speed germination, especially if the seed has not swollen after being soaked[124, K]. The seed usually germinates in 3 - 9 weeks[3]. Grow the plants on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division of the root clump as the plant comes into growth in the spring. Each portion must have at least one growing point. Pot up the divisions and grow them on in the greenhouse until they are well established and then plant them out in the summer. Root cuttings.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a deep rich well-drained soil in a sunny position[7]. The plant has large leaves and dislikes windy conditions since this can tear the leaves to shreds[7]. This species is probably hardy in the mildest areas of Britain but even then it should be given a good mulch if left in the ground overwinter[1][7]. Plants have survived temperatures down to about -5°c overwinter with us[K]. This species is often grown as a summer bedding plant in Britain, especially in sub-tropical bedding schemes. In colder areas of the country the tubers can be harvested in late autumn after the top growth has been killed back by frost and stored over winter. They should be kept in a cool but frost-free place covered in moist soil or leaves[1]. Plants are cultivated for their edible root in the Tropics. Slugs love the young growth in spring and can cause serious damage to plants[9].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  2. Chakravarty. H. L. The Plant Wealth of Iraq.

    ↩1↩2

  3. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩1↩2

  5. Bell. L. A. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press 1988-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  6. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  9. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

    ↩

  10. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

    ↩

  11. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

  12. Towle. M. A. The Ethno-Botany of Pre-Columbian Peru.

    ↩1↩2

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