eclayne said:Canna x generalis 'Phasion' syn. 'Tropicanna' may be in the same category. Canna Tropicanna®
As I understand it 'Phaison' is the accepted cv. name now, by RHS and EU in general. Here in the states we all see it as 'Tropicanna'. I don't know how to properly identify the Tropicanna as I've been told to keep cvs. out of the synonym field, hence the common names.
Hi, Everyone!
I see the 'names issues' of Cannas is not just a topic here or in England, but widespread. It has 'bugged' me for ages, as I prefer to give anyone I sell to or who may ask for advice, the correct original names .. not JUST the registered names given by the 'big companies' to stimulate market sales.
Conversing amongst the contacts I have here in Australia, England & in the States & also in Poland .. many of them horticulturists & hybridizers &/or collectors of many yrs experience (I'm the baby in the bunch of only 10yrs experience with cannas) .. it is now viewed by 'general concensus' to use the most earliest recorded names for each cultivar/hybrid variety.
This is for 2 reasons:
1. By continually refering to the original name, it is hoped that some 'conformity' of identification will be undertaken to alleviate current name confusions.
2. Using original names of registered cultivars eg. 'Phasion' aka 'Tropicanna', alleviates the problem (here in Australia at least) of any copyright infringements that may be bought against anyone selling or advertising cannas that they have no individual copyright/registration rights to.
It is a difficult situation .. right from the beginning of collectors collecting cannas & hybridizers cross breeding various cannas, information has (mostly) been poorly recorded.
The fact that many canna were 'recognised' by different names in different countries (& still are) hasn't helped.
Then you also have the fact that some cannas had name changes during the War years because releasing them in countries other than where they originated was not 'socially acceptable' .. eg. 'Roi Humbert' early 1900's aka 'King Humbert', has been released with many different names & is well believed to be the 'original' C.'Tropicanna Black', via extensive field trials.
Many marvellous early collections have been 'lost' or destroyed, through various circumstances & even more 'modern' collections have been lost due to Canna Virus'. THEN, some collections & individual original cannas have also been 'rediscovered' as well!
Some excellent work in 'sorting' cannas, their names & origins has been done by various enthusiasts .. in sifting through volumes of what data has been recorded & old catalogues, some collectors/hybridizers have extensively trialled many canna in actual growing conditions to compare growth habits, rhisome form etc etc to unravel the canna name mess.
Of course, like 'Phasion' as I've used for an example, many canna do not freely produce fertile seed & the ONLY way to produce another plant (apart from tissue culture, which canna are not particular good subjects) is by rhisome division .. *seeds are never exact copies of 'parent' plants, simply due to pollination processes, even if they look alike.
To my knowledge, there is no other 'cultivar' of 'Phasion' simply because it has to be divided to produce another plant .. divide it all you like, rename it what you will, it is still 'Phasion' originally.
Note: There is a canna with foliage of the same colours & characteristics of 'Phasion' that has RED flowers (rather than orange), but I have very little info on that canna other than it is a 'sport' & not necessarily of 'Phasion', as 'Phasion' was it's self a 'sport' of 'Wyoming' .. ANY photos or info on the RED flowering 'version' of 'Phasion' would be much appreciated to my email
[email protected] for my data base, please.
