Names and family
Linnaeus
Cannabis sativa L. was formalized in 1753 as a single species
Family
It sits in Cannabaceae with hops, though gene work also ties it toward the hackberry group
Older bins
It has been parked with nettles and mulberries in earlier schemes
Lamarck
In 1785 Cannabis indica was proposed for Indian plants used in preparations
One species or several
Interbreed
All cannabis types can cross, which is a classic single-species test
Split view
Some still argue for three species: fiber sativa, drug indica, and wild ruderalis
Ruderalis alleles
Many ruderalis traits look dominant, including flower that starts soon after sprout and ignores day length
Grower language
Indica, sativa, and ruderalis remain useful garden labels even when botanists argue
Formal plant description
Habit
An annual, usually dioecious flowering herb with serrated leaflets
Leaflet count
First leaves often have one leaflet, then rise toward seven or nine, sometimes up to about thirteen, then drop again near the top
Phyllotaxy
Lower pairs are usually opposite. Upper pairs on a mature main stem are often alternate
Chromosomes
Diploid 2n=20. Polyploids have been made in labs
Glands
Cannabinoids are secreted by glandular trichomes, densest on female floral calyxes and bracts
Form and range
Height
Stems can run from about 3 ft to 15 ft or more
Build
Plants range from thin and reedy to thick and bushy
Leaves
Palmate blades can span a few inches to more than a foot, narrow or broad
Spread
Native to the Hindu Kush and Himalayan foothills, now wild on every continent except a formal Antarctic flora
Odd kin
Hops is a perennial. Cannabis is an annual, though some mountain plants can overwinter or restart in spring