Indian shot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Indian shot |
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| Canna edulis, full plant in bloom | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Canna
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| Species: |
indica
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| Synonyms | |
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Species synonymy
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Canna indica, often called Indian shot, African arrowroot, or edible canna, is a plant that belongs to the Cannaceae family. It originally comes from South America, Central America, the West Indies, and Mexico. This plant also grows naturally in parts of the United States (like Florida and Texas), Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. For thousands of years, Canna indica (known as achira in Hispanic America) has been a small but important food crop for the native peoples of the Americas.
Contents
About the Indian Shot Plant
Canna indica is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It can grow from about 1.5 to 8 feet (0.5 to 2.5 meters) tall, depending on the type. It can survive in warm climates (zone 10) but doesn't like frost. Its flowers have both male and female parts.
Roots and Stems
The plant grows underground stems called rhizomes. These rhizomes can be about 2 feet (60 cm) long. They are divided into lumpy parts and covered with pale green or purple flaky leaves. These rhizomes store a lot of starch, which is a type of energy. You can even see the large starch grains with your eyes! The plant has a straight stem that grows upwards, or its overlapping leaf sheaths form a false trunk.
Leaves
The leaves are very large and grow in a spiral or two-line pattern. Each leaf has a sheath, a short stem (petiole), and a blade. The leaf blade is usually 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm) long and 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) wide. The veins in the leaves run parallel, which is unusual for monocot plants. The leaves are broad, green, or sometimes violet-green. The rhizome's surface has grooves where the bases of old scales were. From the bottom of the rhizome, white roots grow, and from the top, new leaves and flower stems sprout.
Flowers and Seeds
The flowers have both male and female parts and are usually large and colorful. They are zygomorphic, meaning they can only be divided into two equal halves in one way, like a human face. They are typically red or yellow-orange and measure about 1.8 to 3 inches (4.5 to 7.5 cm) long. The three separate sepals (outer leaf-like parts of the flower) are usually green. The three petals can be green, yellow, orange, red, or pink. The petals and other flower parts called staminodes are joined at the base. The plant has three carpels (parts that produce seeds) that are joined together in an ovary with a slightly spiky surface.
The plant has a special way of being pollinated by insects. In its natural home, hummingbirds help pollinate the flowers. They bloom from August to October. After flowering, the plant produces fruits that are round or oval capsules, 0.6 to 1.2 inches (1.5 to 3 cm) long. These fruits are chestnut-colored and contain many black, very hard seeds.
The seeds are small, round, black, and heavy enough to sink in water. They look like shotgun pellets, which is why the plant is sometimes called "Indian shot." These seeds are so hard that they can even be shot through wood and still grow later! It is said that during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, soldiers used Canna indica seeds as bullets when they ran out.
Plant Classification
Over the past few decades, two scientists, Paulus Johannes Maria Maas and Nobuyuki Tanaka, have studied and classified Canna plants. Maas considers several other Canna species to be just different forms of C. indica. Tanaka also recognizes many different types (varieties) of C. indica.
- Canna indica var. indica L.: This is a medium-sized plant with green, oblong leaves. It has upright red flowers and thick, purple rhizomes.
- Canna indica var. flava (Roscoe ex Baker) Nb. Tanaka: This variety has yellow flowers. Many plants once called C. lutea are actually this type.
- Canna indica var. maculata (Hook) Nb. Tanaka: This is a medium-sized plant with green, oval leaves. Its flowers are yellow with red spots.
- Canna indica var. sanctae rosea (Kraenzl) Nb. Tanaka: This is a small plant with green, oval leaves that have a white edge. It has pink flowers.
- Canna indica var. warszewiczii (A.Dietr.) Nb.Tanaka: This variety has purple-red edges on its leaves and purple-red fruits. It also has slightly thicker stems at the base.
Where It Grows
Canna indica is originally from South America, including countries like Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina, as well as the West Indies and Central America.
Today, it grows naturally in many other places around the world. This includes parts of Europe, most of tropical Africa, China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, and many Pacific Islands.
The plant can grow from sea level up to about 8,850 feet (2,700 meters) high. It prefers warm, humid climates, especially in mountains, with average temperatures between 57 and 81°F (14 to 27°C). It likes a lot of rain, but it can also handle drier or very wet conditions. Canna indica grows best in light, sandy soils that drain well, but it can also grow in heavier soils as long as they are not too wet. The type of soil (acidic or alkaline) doesn't seem to bother it much. For the seeds to sprout, they need to soak in water for two to three days.
Ecology
Diseases
Compared to many other plants, Cannas don't get sick very often. However, some diseases can affect C. indica.
- Canna rust (Puccinia thaliae) is a fungus that causes orange spots on the leaves.
- Plant viruses like Hippeastrum mosaic virus can make leaves look streaky, slow down growth, or cause flowers to look strange.
- Botrytis is a type of mold that affects the flowers.
Some types of Canna plants are naturally stronger against certain diseases. To prevent mold, the soil should drain well and not stay too wet. Removing dead or sick leaves can help stop diseases from spreading.
Pests
Some insects can cause problems for Canna indica.
- The canna leaf roller moth (Calpodes ethlius) is a caterpillar that is considered the worst pest for this plant, especially in the Southern United States. These caterpillars lay their eggs in the plant's buds. They use sticky webs to keep the leaves from opening, which protects their eggs and young. The caterpillars then eat the leaves, which can harm the plant's ability to make food through photosynthesis.
- The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) also eats Canna leaves, usually between the veins. In Japan, it doesn't cause much harm, but in the U.S., it has no natural enemies and can cause serious damage to Cannas and other plants.
- The bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi) can affect stored rhizomes. While it hasn't caused major damage yet, it can be a problem for plants grown in greenhouses. Tiny parasitic wasps can help control these aphids.
As an Invasive Species
C. indica is listed in the Global Invasive Species Database because it can spread quickly and harm local ecosystems.
- In South Africa, it's considered a serious invader. It competes with and replaces native plants, especially in wet areas. It's against the law to grow or sell it there, and it must be removed.
- In Australia, it's seen as a weed in New South Wales and Queensland.
- In the Pacific Islands, it's a high-risk plant that threatens local ecosystems.
- In Ghana, it has been found to compete with and invade natural forests in places like the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary.
Growing the Indian Shot Plant
Canna indica (achira) has been grown by native peoples in tropical America for thousands of years. It might have first been grown in the northern Andes mountains. Evidence shows that people in coastal Ecuador were growing achira around 3000 BCE. Even in very dry areas of Peru, people were growing it by 2000 BCE, meaning they likely brought it from wetter places.
What the Plant Needs to Grow
To grow Canna indica, the soil should be rich, full of humus (decayed plant matter), and light. The best soil is deep, rich, and drains well, in a sunny spot, with a pH between 5.5 and 7.5. The rhizomes should be planted about 4 inches (10 cm) deep after the last frost. Even though the plant can handle dry spells, watering it sometimes will help it grow better. C. indica can survive cold temperatures (down to -10°C in mild climates), but its leaves can be damaged at 0°C.
How to Grow More Plants
Canna indica is usually grown by planting pieces of the rhizome or whole rhizomes. It's important to store the rhizomes correctly between harvests because they can spoil quickly. Large rhizomes can be cut into smaller pieces in spring before new shoots appear. You can also grow Canna indica from seeds. Seeds planted early in spring can produce flowers in the same year.
Planting Tips
Usually, about 3,000–4,500 kg of rhizomes are used per hectare (about 2.5 acres). You shouldn't plant more than 22,500 plants per hectare. When planting the rhizomes, make sure the sprouts point upwards. The ideal space between plants in a row is 24–28 inches (60–70 cm), and between rows, it's 28–31 inches (70–80 cm). Since Canna indica grows quite tall, it's best to plant it in places with not too much wind to prevent it from falling over. Seeds start to sprout when the soil temperature is above 61°F (16°C), but the best temperature is 68–77°F (20–25°C). Seedlings usually appear 20–30 days after planting.
Feeding the Plants
Canna indica needs fertilizer to grow well and produce a good harvest. When the plants are young, fertilizer should be added to the soil during the first tilling (turning the soil). Up to 750 kg per hectare of a balanced fertilizer (containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) can be used. Be careful not to let the fertilizer touch the base of the plant or its leaves directly. Before the plant flowers, more fertilizer can be added during the second tilling to help the underground stems and roots grow. Spreading the fertilizer evenly on both sides of the roots helps them absorb water and grow uniformly.
Controlling Weeds
Fast-growing weeds can harm C. indica, especially before the plant grows its fourth leaf. There are two main ways to control weeds:
- Using herbicides (chemicals that kill weeds).
- Doing mechanical work, like tilling the soil, depending on how much the weeds are growing.
Harvesting the Crop
You can start harvesting the crop about six months after planting. At this time, the rhizomes are soft and juicy. However, most rhizomes are harvested later, after 8–10 months, when they are at their biggest size. C. indica is a good plant to grow as an emergency crop because it can stay in the ground for a long time. It can be harvested when other crops might not be doing well.
Harvesting is done by hand. Workers use a shovel or other digging tool to pull out the plants, shake off the soil, and then cut the stems to separate the rhizomes.
How Much It Produces
The amount of crop produced (the yield) changes depending on where it's grown, the climate, and the soil. In some places, Canna indica can produce more than other starchy crops like cassava or arrowroot. On average, the rhizome yield is about 22–50 tons per hectare. The amount of starch you can get from these rhizomes is about 2–5 tons per hectare, and sometimes up to 10 tons per hectare. It's interesting that the biggest rhizome yield doesn't always mean the most starch.
Making Starch the Traditional Way
Rhizomes used for making starch should be processed within a few days after being harvested because they spoil quickly. Here are the steps for making starch the traditional way in Colombia, which needs a lot of fresh water:
- Step 1: Cleaning The harvested rhizomes are put into sacks and taken to the processing area. First, they are washed in tanks to clean them.
- Step 2: Grating Next, the rhizomes are grated by machines. This breaks open their cells to release the starch.
- Step 3: Sieving The grated rhizomes are mixed with more water and passed through a sieve (a screen). This separates the starch from the rest of the plant pulp.
- Step 4: Separating The starch granules are heavier than water, so they sink to the bottom of a tank. This separates the starch from the water used for sieving.
- Step 5: Washing The starch is then washed several times with clean water.
- Step 6: Drying Finally, the starch is spread out in the sun to dry. Once dry, the starch is ready to be stored or moved.
Uses of the Plant
Canna indica plants can be used to clean dirty water from factories, especially water with a lot of organic waste, color, and certain chemicals from paper mills.
The seeds of Canna indica are often used to make jewellery. They are also used inside musical instruments like the kayamb from Réunion and the hosho from Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe, the seeds are called "hota" seeds.
As Food
The starch from Canna indica is easy to digest, making it good for health foods and baby foods. The underground tubers (rhizomes) can be eaten raw or cooked. The starch is also good for baking. In South America, the leaves are used to wrap foods like pastries (such as tamales and humitas), similar to how banana or corn leaves are used. In some areas, the leaves are fed to livestock. The round seeds were once used by Native Americans as weights for gold, much like carob seeds, because they have a very consistent weight.
The large rhizomes are edible. When cooked, they become clear, a bit sticky, and sweet. Starch is made by grinding the roots and soaking them in water. This separates the starch from the fibers. The starch grains of C. indica are the largest known from any plant! This starch is sometimes sold as "arrowroot," a name also given to starch from other root crops. In the mid-1800s, it was an ingredient in recipes like cakes and was called tous-les-mois.
In 1549, the Spanish noticed achira was one of four root crops grown for food in Peru. Today, achira is not commonly grown for food, but in the 1960s, it was still important in a region of Peru near Cusco. There, at high elevations, achira is grown and harvested especially for the Festival of Corpus Christi in May or June. The achira rhizomes are wrapped in achira leaves and baked slowly underground in a pit with heated rocks.
In the 1950s, Canna indica was brought to China as a plant for gardens. But during a severe food shortage in China from the late 1950s to early 1960s (the Great Chinese Famine), plants like Canna indica became important food sources. Because of this, the plant became known as a food crop. Today, its rhizomes are used to make starch, noodles (vermicelli), white wine, and ethanol. Since it's used as a food crop and doesn't suffer much from diseases or pests, Canna indica has become a popular crop for large-scale farming in China.
The achira rhizomes are mostly water (73%). They also contain 24% starch, 1% protein, 0.6% fiber, and 1.4% minerals.
As Biodegradable Plastics
In China, the starch from Canna indica is mixed with polyethylene to create biodegradable plastics. These plastics are affordable and can completely break down into fertilizer in just a few months. To make these plastics, 60–80% C. indica starch and 20–40% polyethylene are melted together evenly at 240°C.
Images for kids
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Illustration by M. Hart
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Leaves
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Flowers and capsules
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Seeds
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Canna edulis fruit
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Flower of C. indica var. flava
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C. indica, commonly known as Indian shot, Tagore Park Mahe District, Puducherry UT, India
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See also
In Spanish: Canna indica para niños
