Thalia

Scientific name

Thalia L.

Common names

water canna, powdery alligatorflag, Indian bayou, powdery thalia

Family

Marantaceae

Similar genera

Canna, Monochoria, Pontederia, Schumannianthus

Native distribution

America

Species cultivated

Thalia dealbata Fraser

T. geniculata L.

Adventive distribution

Australia

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

emergent, broad-leaved rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
plant

Brief description

Perennial. Emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
, tall. Stem narrow and rhizomatousrhizomatous:
(adj) possessing rhizomes
. Leaves alternatealternate:
(adj) (of leaves) bearing one leaf per node; placed singly on the stem at different heights
; petiolepetiole:
(n) the stalk of a leaf
narrow, sheathed; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
broad ovate-lanceolate, venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
pinnatepinnate:
(adj) in the form of a feather; of, e.g., leaflets, lobes, or veins: arranged in two rows along an axis
, laterallateral:
(adj) on or pertaining to the side of an organ or structure
veins closely spaced and parallel; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
an open, bracteatebracteate:
(adj) possessing or bearing bracts
panicle. Flowers in sessilesessile:
(adj) attached directly, without a stalk
pairs, zygomorphiczygomorphic:
(adj) bilaterally symmetrical; symmetrical along only one plane
; sepals 3, subequal; petals 3, fused at base. Dispersal by seed.

Natural habitat

lakes, swamps, and rivers

Additional comments

A genus with six species, with only a few aquatic. Thalia dealbata is the species most commonly cultivated for ponds. Thalia geniculata is slightly smaller than T. dealbata and has characteristic red stems basally.