Canna 'Phasion'

"Canna" 'Phasion'® is a medium sized Italian Group cultivar; green, bronze and pink variegated foliage, ovoid shaped, branching habit; oval stems, coloured red; clusters of flowers are open, tangerine-orange and burnt-red, staminodes are large, edges frilled, petals purple with farina, fully self-cleaning; seed is sterile, pollen is sterile; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured white and purple; tillering is average. Originally a spontaneous mutation, probably of "Canna" 'Wyoming', as it has been known to revert its foliage colour to that identical to that old cultivar. Sold in the USA as Canna Tropicanna® and is protected under US Plant Patent #10,569 and no propagation is allowed except under license.

=Gallery=

=Origin=The earliest record is dated 1955 in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, in the garden of a gentleman called Mr Rademeyer in the city of Bulawayo. The cultivar was already in the garden when he moved into the house.

=History=This cultivar has been subject to much legal activity, details of which are available in the link below.

=Synonyms=
* "Canna" 'Andaloucia", - confined to Europe
* "Canna" 'Durban' - confined to Europe. There is a cultivar with this same name grown in the USA, but it is distinctly different.
* "Canna" 'Franciscus' - confined to Europe
* "Canna" 'Gold Ader' - confined to USA
* "Canna" 'Inferno'
* "Canna" 'Tiger Stripe'
* "Canna" 'Tropicanna' - a registered trademark and used as a synonym widely throughout the world.

=References=
* Cook, Ian - The gardener's Guide to Growing Cannas, Timber Press.

=External links=
* [http://www.hartcanna.com/phasion.htm NCCPG National Collection: CANNA, Hart Canna] The story of the various legal issues surrounding this variety.

ee also

* Canna
* List of Canna species
* List of Canna cultivars
* List of Canna hybridists