Red leaf stripe, undecided flower color

12 years ago

This doesn't look like virus, from pics I looked at, but really not totally sure. Is it just an unusual collection of genes from a seed? This was put here early this spring from a friend's house, so I'm seeing this plant for the first time this year, though it's not a baby. What do you think?

A couple of the leaves have red stripes:
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Flower clump from top:
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Left side:
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Right side;
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Comments (5)

canna2grow
12 years ago
Your pictured canna is one of the most widely known canna cultivars in the U.S. It is also known to be a plant that is considered a chimera. In the horticultural world many of our ornamentals are grown because of this unusual trait. We identify the cultivar in the U.S. as C. Cleopatra.

Cleopatra is not a stable periclinal chimera. It is a more unstable form known as a mericlinal chimera. This is the reason you see the unusual and varied coloration in both the leaves and blooms. This varied coloration has no relationship to a virus infection but that does not eliminate the possibility of a viral issue.

C. Cleopatra is definitely quite photogenic. Best

Kent
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks for the reply and info, Kent. The plants in the patch where I got this have plain grn leaves with yello (spotted with red) flowers... or so I thought. Maybe I wasn't paying much attention. None of the others I brought here have any of this redness to them. But glad this interesting one happened to be at the edge of the clump. And that I got to see these flowers. It's a daily battle against the caterpillars, not very good odds for any particular stalk.

That's cool, there may actually be something in my yard (besides 'house plants' - which are mostly variegated chimeras) with a fancy cultivar name. Go figure!

(Yello spelled wrong on purpose to thwart ad-attachment.)

This post was edited by purpleinopp on Mon, Sep 16, 13 at 9:19
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miketropic
12 years ago
Also give yourself credit for having clean stock 99% of them are virused. I am still looking for a clean cleo. myself
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
Original Author
12 years ago
Hithere Mike! These have probably been being passed around the area for a while. I'd be very surprised to learn my friend spent money on plants. I'd be happy to share next year, for postage or trade, if you're still looking, remind me!

After reading about Canna virus, I wouldn't buy any, (and out of room for more Cannas anyway!) And not sure how long I'll have the gumption to fight the caterpillars. Kermit seems to really like them though, it would be a shame to mess up his habitat!
miketropic
12 years ago
Id be happy to take some off your hands and thin out the patch for new canes next year! I haven't ever seen that type of tree frog on mine but I have had alot of grey tree frogs in the garden this year...if they ate as many mosquito as I want them to they would be obese! let me know whenever you get to digging and Id gladly take a few eyes. thanks so much