Canna 'Star of India'

A small Crozy Group cultivar; green foliage, ovoid shaped, spreading habit; oval stems, coloured green; flowers are open, orange-red with a narrow yellow margin, staminodes are narrow, fully self-cleaning; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type, capsules globose; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured white and pink.
Introduced by S. Percy-Lancaster, Alipore Cannas, Calcutta, India.
The earliest reference is by Sydney Percy-Lancaster, "In an Indian Garden", 1927. In the collection of the Royal Agri-Horticultural Society , Alipore, Calcutta, India. Dr. Khoshoo & Dr. I. Guha: Evolution of Cultivated Canna, 1966.

Canna 'Pink Silk'

A medium sized Crozy Group cultivar; dark green foliage, oval shaped, branching habit; panicles of flowers are reflexed, self-coloured pink, staminodes are medium size, edges regular, stamen is pink streaked with gold, good bloomer, blooms open in the evening; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type, capsules globose; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured white and pink; tillering is slow.


It origins are in India, probably from the Agri Horticultural Society of India during the period that Sydney Percy-Lancaster was its secretary.

Canna 'Percy Lancaster'

A medium sized Crozy Group cultivar; green foliage, oval shaped, white margin, branching habit; round stems, coloured green; panicles of flowers are open, yellow heavily spotted with red, staminodes are large, edges ruffled, petals yellow, fully self-cleaning; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type, capsules round.

Introduced by S. Percy-Lancaster, Alipore Cannas, Calcutta, India. In the collection of the Royal Agri-Horticultural Society , Alipore, Calcutta, India. Dr. Khoshoo & Dr. I. Guha: Evolution of Cultivated Canna, 1966. Named by the breeder for his father, Mr Percy Lancaster who founded the Alipore Canna Collection in the early 1890's.

Synonym: C. 'Journey's End'

Canna 'Goldilocks'

A medium sized Premier Group cultivar; green foliage, oval shaped, spreading habit; oval stems, coloured green; panicles of flowers are open, yellow with red spots, staminodes are narrow, edges ruffled, petals yellow, fully self-cleaning; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type, capsules globose; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured white; tillering is prolific.

Introduced by S. Percy-Lancaster, Alipore Cannas, Calcutta, India. In the collection of the Royal Agri-Horticultural Society , Alipore, Calcutta, India. Dr. Khoshoo & Dr. I. Guha: Evolution of Cultivated Canna 1966.

Canna 'Black Knight'

A small Italian Group cultivar; purple foliage, oval shaped, arching habit; round stems, coloured purple; flowers are reflexed, self-coloured crimson-maroon, staminodes are large, edges regular, petals purple with farina, fully self-cleaning, low bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile. 
Introduced by S. Percy-Lancaster, Alipore Cannas, Calcutta, India.  In the collection of the Royal Agri-Horticultural Society , Alipore, Calcutta, India. Dr. Khoshoo & Dr. I. Guha: Evolution of Cultivated Canna 1966. Synonym: C. 'Black Velvet'

Canna 'Pink Silk'

A medium sized Crozy Group cultivar; dark green foliage, oval shaped, branching habit; panicles of flowers are reflexed, self-coloured pink, staminodes are medium size, edges regular, stamen is pink streaked with gold, good bloomer, blooms open in the evening; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type, capsules globose; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured white and pink; tillering is slow.


It origins are in India, probably from the Agri Horticultural Society of India during the period that Sydney Percy-Lancaster was its secretary.

Canna 'Goldilocks'

A medium sized Premier Group cultivar; green foliage, oval shaped, spreading habit; oval stems, coloured green; panicles of flowers are open, yellow with red spots, staminodes are narrow, edges ruffled, petals yellow, fully self-cleaning; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type, capsules globose; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured white; tillering is prolific.

Introduced by S. Percy-Lancaster, Alipore Cannas, Calcutta, India. In the collection of the Royal Agri-Horticultural Society , Alipore, Calcutta, India. Dr. Khoshoo & Dr. I. Guha: Evolution of Cultivated Canna 1966.

Revisiting Canna 'Black Knight'

A small Italian Group cultivar; purple foliage, oval shaped, arching habit; round stems, coloured purple; flowers are reflexed, self-coloured crimson-maroon, staminodes are large, edges regular, petals purple with farina, fully self-cleaning, low bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile. Introduced by S. Percy-Lancaster, Alipore Cannas, Calcutta, India.

In the collection of the Royal Agri-Horticultural Society , Alipore, Calcutta, India. Dr. Khoshoo & Dr. I. Guha: Evolution of Cultivated Canna 1966.

Synonym: C. 'Black Velvet'

Revisiting Canna 'Bengal Tiger'

A medium sized Italian Group cultivar; variegated green and yellow foliage, oval shaped, maroon margin, spreading habit; oval stems, coloured green; panicles of flowers are open, orange and red-orange, staminodes are large, edges ruffled, petals purple with farina, fully self-cleaning, average bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile; rhizomes are long and thin, coloured white; tillering is average.

Originated at the Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of India, Bengal in the 1950's. It was later taken to South Africa, by Sydney Percy-Lancaster, the Secretary of the Society, when he retired there, hence the synonym of 'Pretoria' when it was 'found' growing there in the late 1960's. Also imported to the USA from India in 1963 by Glasshouse Works. Finally, the name 'Striata' adopted by the RHS is invalid, as that name belongs to a cultivar described in Subtropical Gardening - Robinson 1868, and which is still grown in Europe.

Awards: 2002, 'Award of Garden Merit' (AGM) in the outdoor trials held at RHS Wisley, under the synonym of C. 'Striata'

Synonyms: C. 'African Yellow', C. 'americanallis var. variegata', C. 'aureo-striata', C. 'Damascus Road', C. 'Imperialis', C. 'Kapit', C. 'malaweiensis variegata', C. 'Malaweinses', C. 'malawiensis variegata', C. 'Pallida Variegata', C. 'Panach', C. 'Panaché [France]', C. 'Praetoria', C. 'Pretoria', C. 'Pretoria Dwarf', C. 'Striata (2)', C. 'Striatum', C. 'Striped Wonder', C. 'Tropicanna Gold', C. 'Zebra Summer', C. 'Zebra Sunset'

Revisiting Canna 'Black Knight'

A small Italian Group cultivar; purple foliage, oval shaped, arching habit; round stems, coloured purple; flowers are reflexed, self-coloured crimson-maroon, staminodes are large, edges regular, petals purple with farina, fully self-cleaning, low bloomer; seed is sterile, pollen is low fertile.

Introduced by S. Percy-Lancaster, Alipore Cannas, Calcutta, India. The earliest reference is in "An Indian Garden" by S. Percy-Lancaster published 1928. In the collection of the Royal Agri-Horticultural Society , Alipore, Calcutta, India. Dr. Khoshoo & Dr. I. Guha: Evolution of Cultivated Canna 1966. Synonym: C. 'Black Velvet'

Revisiting Canna 'Percy Lancaster'

A medium sized Crozy Group cultivar; green foliage, oval shaped, white margin, branching habit; round stems, coloured green; panicles of flowers are open, yellow heavily spotted with red, staminodes are large, edges ruffled, petals yellow, fully self-cleaning; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type, capsules round.

Introduced by S. Percy-Lancaster, Alipore Cannas, Calcutta, India. In the collection of the Royal Agri-Horticultural Society , Alipore, Calcutta, India. Dr. Khoshoo & Dr. I. Guha: Evolution of Cultivated Canna, 1966.

Named by the breeder for his father, Mr Percy Lancaster who founded the Alipore Canna Collection in the early 1890's.

Revisiting Canna 'Star of India'

A small Crozy Group cultivar; green foliage, ovoid shaped, spreading habit; oval stems, coloured green; flowers are open, orange-red with a narrow yellow margin, staminodes are narrow, fully self-cleaning; fertile both ways, not self-pollinating or true to type, capsules globose; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured white and pink.

Introduced by S. Percy-Lancaster, Alipore Cannas, Calcutta, India.

The earliest reference is by Sydney Percy-Lancaster, "An Amateur in an Indian Garden", 1927. In the collection of the Royal Agri-Horticultural Society , Alipore, Calcutta, India. Dr. Khoshoo & Dr. I. Guha: Evolution of Cultivated Canna, 1966.

Canna virus identified in 1928

Sydney Percy-Lancaster

"An Indian Garden", 1928

This is a quote from the book, "Cannas frequently show a wonderful streaking and striping on the petals, resembling the "broken" Tulips. If transplanted to fresh ground this variegation disappears and the bizarre effect is lost. As it has lately been discovered that breaking of Tulips and other flowers is due to a virus disease, Cannas probably are similarly affected. There does not appear to be any cure except changing the site and destroying the stock if the plant is badly diseased."

Comment:
There we have it, Canna have suffered with virus for at least eighty years. So why has it suddenly grown out of control? Well, the use of the WWW has meant that more people around the world are now in contact with each other, and there has been a gigantic increase in the exchange of rhizomes. Could it be that over a period of time different varieties appeared that prospered in a given climate, and although the virus is present its effects are not noticeable. However, when grown in a different climate the effect is to make the virus more virulent? Purely speculation, of course.