Scientific Name:
Cannabis sativa
Pronunciation:
CANN-ah-bis sah-TEE-vah
Common Name:
marijuana
Family Name:
Cannabaceae
Plant Type:
Annual (true)
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate on upper stems, rounded with 5-9 lance-shaped to elliptic leaflets, most 5-12cm long x 1.5-4cm wide, margins serrate (reminiscent of some Japanese maples); florets surrounded by green bracts in condensed spike-like cymes.
Habit:
Dense, Upright
Form:
Columnar, Oval - vertical, Pyramidal - narrowly, Pyramidal - widely, Vase
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
1.3 - 2.0m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
S.E. Asia / Japan / China, South Asia / India
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
High
Landscape Uses:
Medicinal plant
Additional Info:
Two distinct subspecies: C. subsp. sativa (taller, thinner plants with narrow leaves and is often grown for fiber or seeds; higher levels of THC and lower levels of CBD, leading to a more energetic or cerebral effect), and C. subsp. indica (generally shorter, bushier, with wider leaves and is commonly associated with resin production for medicinal or recreational use; higher levels of CBD and lower THC, which may contribute to a more relaxing or sedative effect).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Compound
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Pubescent, Distinctive smell
Compound Leaf:
Digitate (palmate)
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Elliptic, Lanceolate, Oblanceolate
Apices:
Acuminate
Bases:
Rounded
Margins:
Serrate
Additional Info:
Arrangement opposite on lower part of stems
Inflorescence Type:
Cyme, Spike-like
Flower Morphology:
Dioecious plant
Number Of Petals:
0
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
White, Green-yellow, Green, Pink
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun, Jul, Aug
Additional Info:
Monoecious plants may also occur; most non-tropical stains do not initiate flowering without at least 11 hours of continuous darkness for > 7 days
Fruit Type:
Achene
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Aug, Sep
Additional Info:
Not showy
Bark Morphology:
Prominent lenticels, Lightly fissured
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Yellow
Propagation:
Seed, Cuttings
Optimal Temp.:
Medium
Light Level:
High
Maintenance:
High
Other:
Pest Susceptibility:
Abiotic disorder, Aphids or adelgids, Caterpillar or cutworm, Mildew, Mites, Thrips, Virus, Whitefly or psyllids
