Pseudosasa japonica
Pseudosasa japonica, the arrow bamboo[2] or metake,[3] is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, native to Japan and Korea. This vigorous bamboo forms thickets up to 6 m (20 ft) tall with shiny leaves up to 25 cm (9.8 in) long.[3] The culms are typically yellow-brown and it has palm-like leaves. The common name "arrow bamboo" results from the Japanese Samurai using its hard and stiff canes for their arrows.[5] It grows up to 4 cm (1.6 in) a day.
| Pseudosasa japonica | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Genus: | Pseudosasa |
| Species: | P. japonica |
| Binomial name | |
| Pseudosasa japonica | |
| Synonyms | |
Cultivation
This cold hardy bamboo species (tolerant to 0 °F/−17.7 °C) grows well both in shade and full sun. Pseudosasa japonica does very well in containers and salty air near the ocean. Because it tends to be more shade tolerant than other bamboo species it is often used by gardeners as an understory to a tree-lined living fence.[5] In cultivation in the UK this species has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3][6]
Subspecies
- Pseudosasa japonica var. japonica
- Pseudosasa japonica var. tsutsumiana
References
- "ITIS Standard Report Page: Pseudosasa japonica". Itis.gov. 2009-11-24. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
- "PLANTS Profile for Pseudosasa japonica (arrow bamboo) | USDA PLANTS". Plants.usda.gov. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
- "RHS Plantfinder - Pseudosasa japonica". Retrieved 23 September 2018.
- "Pseudosasa japonica - Species Details". University of Florida - Institute for Systematic Botany - Atlas of Florida Plants. 2015-08-14. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
- "Cape May Bamboo - Pseudosasa Japonica (Japanese Arrow Bamboo)". Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 82. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
Further reading
- Ohrnberger, D. (1999). The Bamboos of the World: Annotated Nomenclature and Literature of the Species and the Higher and Lower Taxa. Amsterdam: Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-444-50020-5.
- Huxley, Anthony; Griffith, Mark; Levy, Margot, eds. (1992). The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. Vol. 1–4. London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-0-333-47494-5.
- Encke, Fritz; Buchheim, Günther; Seybold, Siegmund (1984). Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen (in German) (13th ed.). Stuttgart: Eugen Ulmer. ISBN 978-3-8001-5042-7.
- Ohwi, Jisaburo (1965). Meyer, Frederick G.; Walker, Egbert H. (eds.). Flora of Japan (English ed.). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. OCLC 1123305909.
- Chung, Tai Hyun (1965). Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fauna & Flora of Korea, Vol. 5, Tracheophyta (in Korean). Seoul: Samhwa Ch'ulp'an Sa. OCLC 836718523.