We have received a sample of this dyed and lacquered fruiting
inflorescence and have no idea what it is scientifically. Perhaps a
palm, but not sure. Is anyone familiar with it? It is certainly not
Canella of the Canellaceae. Fruits are one seeded (seed coat is very
hard like a date seed) with a brittle fruit wall with a scale-like
pattern that does not show up well in the picture at the site below.

http://www.theflowermart.com/cart.as...ics&it em=574

Thanks for your input.

Gene Newcomb

My sources list a genus Canella in the Canellaceae and say it is a
source of medicine and fish poison. Nothing about an ornamental.
"Canela" and variants are common names for cinnamon or cinnamon
smelling/looking plants. This may be a common name someone has cooked
up in reference to the color of the fruits.

M. Reed

Gene Newcomb wrote:

We have received a sample of this dyed and lacquered fruiting
inflorescence and have no idea what it is scientifically. Perhaps a
palm, but not sure. Is anyone familiar with it? It is certainly not
Canella of the Canellaceae. Fruits are one seeded (seed coat is very
hard like a date seed) with a brittle fruit wall with a scale-like
pattern that does not show up well in the picture at the site below.

http://www.theflowermart.com/cart.as...ics&it em=574

Thanks for your input.

Gene Newcomb

Right. This florist's material is certainly not of the genus Canella. The name does seem to
be widely accepted in the floral supply trade. Googling on it produces numerous sites
selling the material. It seems to come from India, so I'm hoping someone with more
familiarity with that flora than I have will be able to ID it. The red color, according to
the person who submitted the sample to our Plant Disease Clinic, is paint or dye, so the
true color of the fruit is open to debate. Probably a light tan as it takes the dye very
well and doesn't look muddy at all. Apparently the inflorescence is quite large, on the
pieces we were sent there is a main stalk which has been cut to produce bunches of fruits
like those in the URL I referred to. The pattern on the fruit wall looks like the scales on
a snake skin or a tiled floor. There is no cinnamon odor connected with the material. I
suspect the name may either come from a species epithet or from the color of the dyed fruit
which is rather like the color of the little cinnamon red hot candies I used to eat.

Still hoping for an ID.

Gene

Monique Reed wrote:

My sources list a genus Canella in the Canellaceae and say it is a
source of medicine and fish poison. Nothing about an ornamental.
"Canela" and variants are common names for cinnamon or cinnamon
smelling/looking plants. This may be a common name someone has cooked
up in reference to the color of the fruits.

M. Reed

Gene Newcomb wrote:

We have received a sample of this dyed and lacquered fruiting
inflorescence and have no idea what it is scientifically. Perhaps a
palm, but not sure. Is anyone familiar with it? It is certainly not
Canella of the Canellaceae. Fruits are one seeded (seed coat is very
hard like a date seed) with a brittle fruit wall with a scale-like
pattern that does not show up well in the picture at the site below.

http://www.theflowermart.com/cart.as...ics&it em=574

Thanks for your input.

Gene Newcomb

Right. This florist's material is certainly not of the genus Canella. The name does seem to
be widely accepted in the floral supply trade. Googling on it produces numerous sites
selling the material. It seems to come from India, so I'm hoping someone with more
familiarity with that flora than I have will be able to ID it. The red color, according to
the person who submitted the sample to our Plant Disease Clinic, is paint or dye, so the
true color of the fruit is open to debate. Probably a light tan as it takes the dye very
well and doesn't look muddy at all. Apparently the inflorescence is quite large, on the
pieces we were sent there is a main stalk which has been cut to produce bunches of fruits
like those in the URL I referred to. The pattern on the fruit wall looks like the scales on
a snake skin or a tiled floor. There is no cinnamon odor connected with the material. I
suspect the name may either come from a species epithet or from the color of the dyed fruit
which is rather like the color of the little cinnamon red hot candies I used to eat.

Still hoping for an ID.

Gene

Monique Reed wrote:

My sources list a genus Canella in the Canellaceae and say it is a
source of medicine and fish poison. Nothing about an ornamental.
"Canela" and variants are common names for cinnamon or cinnamon
smelling/looking plants. This may be a common name someone has cooked
up in reference to the color of the fruits.

M. Reed

Gene Newcomb wrote:

We have received a sample of this dyed and lacquered fruiting
inflorescence and have no idea what it is scientifically. Perhaps a
palm, but not sure. Is anyone familiar with it? It is certainly not
Canella of the Canellaceae. Fruits are one seeded (seed coat is very
hard like a date seed) with a brittle fruit wall with a scale-like
pattern that does not show up well in the picture at the site below.

http://www.theflowermart.com/cart.as...ics&it em=574

Thanks for your input.

Gene Newcomb