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

emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
, 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 al ternateternate:
(adj) in threes
; 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 ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
-lanceolate, venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
pinnate, laterallateral:
(adj) on or pertaining to the side of an organ or structure
veins closely spaced and parallel; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
entire. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
an open, bracteatebracteate:
(adj) possessing or bearing bracts
paniclepanicle:
(n) an indeterminate, branched (often much-branched) inflorescence; the ultimate units may be of a different inflorescence type
. 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.