Canna Cultivar Groups

Back in 2001 my canna collection, known then as Claines Canna Collection, consisted of over 750 Canna accessions and we had a pressing need to have a method of categorising the collection and organising catalogues etc. Normally the senior genus society deals with such matters, but the canna world has always resisted the creation of anything resembling a governing society, so there was no help there.  I tried getting a discussion going on the web discussion groups, but nobody showed any enthusiasm in offering ideas. 

Investigating on the web I discovered that the ICNCP had already paved the way with the concept of 'Cultivar Groups'. Therefore, I created a set of Canna cultivar groups, to satisfy our own requirement to produce manageable paper and web catalogues of my own very large collection. 

The International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP) regulates the naming of cultivars and cultivar Groups, and I decided that this was a progressive way forward, rather than looking to the past and the categorisation methods that had already failed and been abandoned, there simply was no point in us trying to resurrect them. So out of the window went species-like names like hybrida, hortensis, generalis, orchiodes, most based on the genotype (the hidden DNA makeup). Also, the silly attempt to call all canna cultivars x generalis is quite pointless, as just by having the name in inverted commas means that it is a cultivar!

The modern Groups are not concerned with the genotype of a plant, only what it looks like, i.e. the phenotype. I eventually decided to base the groups on Canna history, where different types and styles of cultivars were introduced at milestone points in time. The reasoning being that these differences are immediately visible to the experienced eye and meet our criteria of being sustainable and easy to use. So I specified the following groups:

Agriculture Group

This group includes all Cannas that have been used in agriculture. Farmers have selectively bred Cannas over a period of thousands of years, by simply selecting which variants best produce what they want to grow. They probably gave the cultivars separate names, but the only name that has come down to us is C. achira. Achira is the generic name for Canna in the Andes region, where they were grown as a horticultural crop and not as ornamentals.  The latin name for edible cannas is C. edulis, but the use of latin names is also frowned on by the ICNCP, which wanted to break-away from past conceived ideas.

Normally the edible cannas are C. discolor hybrids, and they have been raised for their ability to produce high quantities of starch. Triploids produce significantly more starch than diploids, and the research that has been done in the area of agricultural Cannas shows that they are nearly all triploids. Incidentally, they are nearly all seed sterile as well.

Canna 'Queensland Arrowroot' has been an agricultural crop in Australia for two centuries, and it still continues to be grow there.  In his researches in Asia, Dr Tanaka has described several cultivar variants, and it is certain that many more agriculture group Cannas exist, but have not been brought into horticulture and catalogued, in other tropical and sub-tropical areas; India, Africa and Hawaii spring immediately to mind.

Most of the members of this group have fine large banana-like foliage and are also able to be described as members of the next group, the Foliage Group.

Foliage Group

Cultivars, F1 and F2 hybrids, normally with small species-like flowers, but grown principally for their fine, banana-like foliage. These cultivars were originally developed by Monsieur Théodore Année, the world's first Canna hybridiser, who introduced many original cultivars and also acted as the inspiration for many more Canna (Foliage Group) introductions.

The hybridisers working on this group in the mid-1800's rapidly discovered a scientific fact, confirmed more recently in the 1960's by Dr Khooshoo, that is, if the flower size is increased significantly, then the seedling will be less substantial than its seed parent. So, to produce more floriferous plants we have to accept that they will be smaller than the more architectural Foliage Group cultivars.

French Group

C. 'Lucifer'

I originally called this the Crozy Group, but had push-back over the years, and so the French Group name was eventually adopted. This is a cultivar group where the flower spikes are arranged close together on the stalk and have narrow to medium staminodes. There is always space between the staminodes when arranged formally, like windmill sails, and the labellum (lip) is smaller than the staminodes, and is often twisted or curled.

The pioneer of this group was Monsieur Antonin Crozy of Lyons, France, who started breeding Cannas as early as 1862, from stock originally developed by Monsieur Année the world's first Canna hybridiser, who specialised in Foliage Group specimens.  By careful selection, Monsieur Crozy created hundreds of new floriferous cultivars and created a rage for new dwarf Cannas across the world. We have to put the word dwarf into perspective here. They are smaller than most of the Foliage Group, but they were still mostly over 1 metre (3ft 3in) in height!

Cultivars of this type were sometimes referred to as gladiolus flowering cannas, but describing flowers as similar to another genus is not to be encouraged. In any event, they are gladiolus style, not some sort of clone.

Also, in the past, they were sometimes called the "x generalis L.H. Bailey" garden species, but such "pretend" garden species are now deprecated in favour of Cultivar Groups. When first describing the generalis "pretend" species, Dr Bailey defined it as: 

C. glauca L. x C. indica L. x C. iridiflora Ruiz and Pav. x C. indica var. warscwiczii A. Dietr. 

Without scientific training and equipment we have no way of confirming whether a plant complies with this or not! This is why the ICNCP is based on the visible phenotype and not the hidden genotype.

Italian Group

A cultivar group with large, very fragile staminodes. Flowers are arranged somewhat loosely, in clusters with wide petals, so wide that there is no space between them, when arranged formally. The labellum (lip) is larger, or at least as large, as the staminodes, unlike the other groups where it is smaller and sometimes curled. The stamen is also much wider than that in the other cultivar groups.

The Italian Group obtained its larger sized, but less sturdy, flowers from the introduction of Canna flaccida, crossed with the French Group cultivar C. 'Madame Crozy', in the early 1890's by Dr Karl Sprenger in Naples, Italy followed shortly afterwards by Luther Burbank in California, USA, with the same cross. Both used C. 'Madame Crozy' as the seed parent as it was considered to be the finest of the existing French Group cultivars.

Specimens of this group used to be called the 'orchid flowering' cannas, or x orchiodes L.H. Bailey, a garden species, which in the rules of the time Dr. Bailey defined as being: 

(C. glauca L. x C. indica L. x C. iridiflora Ruiz and Pav. x C. indica var. warscwiczii A. Dietr) x C. flaccida.

Those same rules also mean that when Sprenger crossed C. 'Madame Crozy' back with pollen from that specimen, then it needed at new garden species name, perhaps x generalis backcross L.H. Bailey, and its official definition was: 

((C. glauca L. x C. indica L. x C. iridiflora Ruiz and Pav. x C. indica var. warscwiczii A. Dietr) x (C. glauca L. x C. indica L. x C. iridiflora Ruiz and Pav. x C. indica var. warscwiczii A. Dietr.) x C. flaccida) )

Really rolls of the tongue, doesn't it?

It is easy to see why the ICNCP eventually changed its regulations to those we are describing here today. In any event, it is difficult to see the similarity between this group and orchids. Is it only me?

Variegated Group

This group covers all Cannas with variegated foliage., regardless of how the variegation has occurred. If the variegation is distinctive, then the cultivar is eligible for membership of this group.

The only natural and reproducible variegation in Cannas is the red/purple stripes on a green leaf that were introduced primarily through Canna indica var. warscwiczii.

All other variegation is introduced through mutation of one sort or another. Such variegation, induced by mutation is not transmitted to seed offspring, and the only propagation method available is vegative, i.e. the division of rhizomes.

Bear in mind that mutations can revert spontaneously, and then you are left with what is potentially another new cultivar.

Aquatic Group

Lanceolate leaf

This group is for cultivars that thrive as marginal water plants. Characteristically, they will have lance-shaped foliage, some of which are coloured glaucous blue/green. and long, thin rhizomes that spread for long distances, and anchor the plant into the mud of the margins. 

The flower is always of the early French Group type, and many cultivars that have the water species (C. glauca and C. flaccida) behind them, have some of these qualities as well.

In the 1970's Longwood Gardens in the USA introduced Cannas 'Ra', 'Erebus', 'Taney' and  'Endeavour' to populate their large lakes, and several breeders have introduced new aquatics in the last few decades to cater for the small garden ponds, rather than large landscape lakes.

My own contribution has been the River Series of aquatic cannas, all the cultivars being of a size that does not overwhelm the domestic garden pond. The series consists of all of the normal canna flower and foliage colours, and all with lance-shaped leaves. They are all good growers when planted 4-6 inches (10-15cm) in the water margins, and require little grooming attention. And don't forget that they will also grow well in the garden border:

• Canna 'River Avon'
• Canna 'River Mersey'
• Canna 'River Ouse'
• Canna 'River Severn'
• Canna 'River Teme'
• Canna 'River Trent'
• Canna 'River Usk'
• Canna 'River Wye'

Conservatory Group

Now deprecated as there has been no new specimens produced in the last 50 years, all the Longwood reared varieties are now members of the French Group instead.

Australian Group

Now deprecated as there has been no new specimens produced in the last 20 years, and it is believed that none of the originals survived the canna virus outbreak of the early century.

Miniature Group

C. 'Tom Thumb'

Cultivars growing under 0.5m (19") in height, the flowers should be in scale to the rest of the plant. They should be suitable for being used as cut flowers for table decoration at formal dinners or in restaurants.

There has been interest in growing such small specimens in the past, the Seven Dwarves Series is one example, and the Alipore Canna Collection in India also had some success, referring to them as Pygmies. As that term is no longer considered politically correct, we coined the term miniature to describe these very special treasures.

Heritage Group

This group grows larger with each passing day, as the naming criteria is that the cultivar should be over 50 years old. It's as simple as that!

Musafolia Group

The Musafolia Group, having large leaves and being either tall or giant in size consists of cultivars whose leaves resemble those of banana plants (genus Musa).  Until this group was designated, the cultivars were considered to be members of the Foliage Group. 

Notice the spelling of the name, based on the banana plant Musa.  The name does not try to be intellectual, with silly spelling that dates back to the Victorian age when it was deemed necessary to show-off one's learning! It is NOT Musifolia, and it certainly is not Musaefolia!

The members of this group were all introduced in the latter half of the 1800's, except for C. 'Musafolia Grande', which was introduced by Herb Kelly in the 1990's.

• C. 'Musafolia Floribunda'
• C. 'Musafolia Hybrida'
• C. 'Musafolia Minima'
• C. 'Musafolia Nigrica'
• C. 'Musafolia Perfecta'
• C. 'Musafolia Peruviana'
• C. 'Musafolia Rubra'
• C. 'Musafolia Grande'

Personally, I have not yet knowingly encountered Nigrica or Perfecta in my 30 years of Canna mania, but it is almost sure that it is out there, probably under a different name.

Chimera Group

C. 'Roi Humbert 1^st'

Currently there are only two cultivars in that group, or is there many more? C. 'Roi Humbert' and C. 'Stuttgart' spring to mind.

A chimera is an organism that contains cells or tissues from two or more different species or from two or more genetically different living things. It was explained to me, in my youth, as being the same as Siamese Twins in humans. I am not a scientist, and so cannot vouch for the accuracy of that description, but it does explain how we have two plants in the same plant body.

Canna 'Roi Humbert'

The source of one of the cultivar(s) is Canna 'Roi Humbert' (King Humbert of Italy), and it's noted introducer Herr Karl Sprenger stated that this one would amaze the world, and so it has. The documented past of this chimera is as follows:

• The earliest documented encounter with it's chimera was in India, at the Royal Agri-Horticultural Society, when Sydney Percy-Lancaster trapped it and called it Canna 'Queen of Italy'.
• In 1918 it was discovered by Luther Burbank in the USA, who christened it Canna 'Yellow King Humbert'.
• In the 1950's although well documented and available commercially, it was 'discovered' growing in Thailand by a Californian nursery owner, who introduced it to the waiting world as the unique Canna 'Cleopatra', and marketed it successfully under that name. A great commercial success.
• Many other names have appeared on the market, as canna gained in commercial popularity.

The list of well-known synonyms is:

• Canna 'Anthony and Cleopatra' - name confined to Europe
• Canna 'Cleopatra' - the name first appeared in US catalogs in the 1960s, not to be confused with C. 'Cleopatré' which is a French Group cultivar from the 1890s
• Canna 'Fusion' - name confined to eBay in USA
• Canna 'Goldkrone' - confined to Europe
• Canna 'Harlequin' - name appears to be confined to the USA
• Canna 'Queen Helena' - name appears to be confined to the USA
• Canna 'Queen of Italy' - name confined to India
• Canna 'Spanish Emblem' - - name appears to be confined to the USA
• Canna 'Striped Queen' - name confined to India
• Canna 'Yellow Humbert' - first appeared in the 1990s, presumably as a shorthand for the correct name

Canna 'Queen of Italy'

The thing is that although we could state that they are all the same, we cannot do that unless we have the scientific knowledge and equipment to establish the exact DNA make-up. 

So, I prefer not to sit in judgement and I accord them all the status of being original cultivars, and not just synonyms of Canna 'Queen of Italy', or should that be synonyms of Canna 'Roi Humbert'! That is the spirit of cultivar groups, it is just what you can see with your own eyes, and not what is in the unobserved DNA.

C. 'New Red'

We have the same with dilema when the plant reverts to looking like, or similar, to the original. In India it was given the name 'New Red', and it also acquired a list of names, that may be genuine cultivars, or could be just synonyms!,p>

Canna 'New Red'

Canna 'Red King Humbert'

Canna 'Ambasadour' (not Ambasador, which is a different 'white' canna)

Canna 'Out of Africa'

Canna 'TyTy Red'

Canna 'Annei'

C. 'Annei'

This one is the original canna cultivar from 1848, which mutates to C. 'Stuttgart', and then reverts back to what we have named as C. 'Omega' (omega also being the last letter of the Greek alphabet, and shows that whoever originally named this cultivar understood that it was the end of a series of mutations).

C. 'Stuttgart'

So, in conclusion, we can state that the Chimera Group is there to indicate the chimera effect, but not to pass judgement on the uniqueness of the cultivar. They are all equal members of this group, regardless of how many there actually are!

Premier Group

C. 'Aida'

The group caters for the cultivars with flowers where the staminodes are wide enough to create a full circle, like a plate.  The outstanding example of this is C. 'President', which produces spikes of large flowers, and many new Canna cultivars are of this type, including Canna 'Aida' (left).

I have never been fully comfortable with the name for this distinct group, but have yet to encounter a better alternative.

Conclusions

The terms of reference for Cultivar Groups are rather loose, and if somebody wanted to start categorising cannas as Yellow Group or Red Group that would comply with the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants, but would also seem to be a touch futile, and not provide the same terms of reference as the groups described above.

Other than that, the Cultivar Group categorisation has worked well, both for myself and many others. It was a considerable effort to implement for a hobby collector, involving a great deal of research, and it is good to see the growing use of the groups, especially in scientific papers but also by the more serious breeders and growers..