Achira (Canna indica)

The name is derived from the Quechua word achira. The plant is a perennial with flowers ranging from red to yellowish orange. There are 30-60 species of achira in America and Asia. Most produce fleshy starchy rhizomes with different degrees of human utility. The starch granule which is stored in the rhizomes is the largest of all known plant species, which could open new opportunities for the development of different products in the starch industry. In Vietnam about 30000 ha are sown to make high-value noodles.  Many of the achira are popular ornamental plants throughout the world.