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Pseudosasa japonica — Japanese arrow bamboo

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Facts

Japanese arrow bamboo is an occasional visitor to Connecticut, where it has been found in forest edges, disturbed and cultivated areas. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental, and in Japan it was traditionally used for making arrow shafts.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), forest edges

New England distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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North America distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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Characteristics

Habitat
terrestrial
New England state
Connecticut
Leaf blade width
15–50 mm
Inflorescence branches
the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
Spikelet length
35–100 mm
Glume relative length
neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
One or more florets
there is more than one floret per spikelet
Show all characteristics
  • Flowers

    Anther number
    3
    Floret number
    5–25
    Glume relative length
    neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
    Glume veins
    • 5
    • 7 or more
    Inflorescence arrangement
    the spikelets are uniform
    Inflorescence branches
    the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
    Inflorescence crowding
    the panicle is somewhat to very spread out, with clearly-evident branches
    Inflorescence type (general)
    the spikelets are borne on stalks or on branches
    Inflorescence type (specific)
    the inflorescence is branched, and the branches do NOT both grow from the same side of the plant AND look like spikes
    Lemma awn number
    • the lemma has no awn
    • the lemma has one awn on it
    Lemma hairs
    the lemma is hairless between the veins
    Lemma surface
    the surface of the lemma is relatively smooth (not counting any longitudinal veins or hairs)
    Lemma tip
    the lemma tip is a simple point, with or without an awn (long narrow extension ending in a point)
    Lemma vein number
    7 or more
    One or more florets
    there is more than one floret per spikelet
    Reproductive system
    all the flowers on the plant have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)
    Spikelet axis tip
    there is no extension of the spikelet axis beyond the tip of the spikelet
    Spikelet length
    35–100 mm
    Spikelet pedicel
    the spikelets have pedicels
    Spikelets spiny
    the spikelets do not appear spiny
  • Growth form

    Lifespan
    the plant lives more than two years
    Rhizomes
    yes
    Roots
    the plant has rhizomes (horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
  • Leaves

    Leaf auricles
    • the leaves do not have auricles
    • the leaves have auricles
    Leaf blade base
    the leaf has a stalk-like base
    Leaf blade cross-section
    the leaf blade is more or less flat in cross-section, or slightly folded or rolled inwards
    Leaf blade hairs
    • the leaf blade is hairless, but it may have tiny prickles that give it a sand-papery feel
    • the leaf blade is hairy
    Leaf blade length
    15–37 cm
    Leaf blade width
    15–50 mm
    Leaf ligule type
    • the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane
    • the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane with fine hairs
    Leaf margin glands
    there are no glands along the edges of the leaf blade
    Leaf sheath closed around stem
    the margins of the leaf sheath are overlapping and not fused together except in the basal half (or less)
    Leaf sheath hairs
    • there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
    • there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
  • Place

    Habitat
    terrestrial
    New England state
    Connecticut
    Specific habitat
    • edges of forests
    • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • Stem, shoot, branch

    Plant height
    100–500 cm
    Stem orientation
    the stems are upright
    Stem spacing
    the stems grow singly or a few together (they may form diffuse colonies)
    Stem thickness at base
    Up to 15 mm

Wetland status

Not classified

In New England

Distribution

Connecticut
present
Maine
absent
Massachusetts
absent
New Hampshire
absent
Rhode Island
absent
Vermont
absent

Conservation status

None

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key

1.  Pseudosasa japonica (Sieb. & Zucc. ex Steud.) Makino ex Nakai E

Japanese arrow bamboo. Arundinaria japonica Sieb. & Zucc. ex Steud. • CT. Forest edges, disturbed soil, areas of cultivation.

Native to North America?

No

Sometimes confused with

Phyllostachys dulcis

Family

Poaceae

Genus

Pseudosasa