Canna indica

A root hardy, clump forming, up to 2.4m tall (8 feet), slender stemmed, banana type plant with bright scarlet flowers, and very hard round 0.5cm seeds. A medium sized species; green foliage, oblong shaped, spreading habit; triangular stems, coloured green; spikes of flowers are erect, self-coloured red, staminodes are long and narrow, edges regular, petals red, partial self-cleaning; fertile both ways, self-pollinating and also true to type, capsules globose; rhizomes are thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, coloured purple; tillering is prolific

The common name "Indian Shot" was derived during an uprising in India, those loyal to the British were running out of ammunition. So they filled the barrels of their rifles with canna seed.