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.

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
  • Arundinaria japonica Siebold & Zucc. ex Steud.
  • Sasa japonica (Siebold & Zucc. ex Steud.) Makino
  • Yadakeya japonica (Siebold & Zucc. ex Steud.) Makino[1][2]
  • Arundinaria japonica Siebold & Zucc. ex Steud.

The common name "arrow bamboo" results from the Japanese Samurai using its hard and stiff canes for their arrows.[4]

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.[4] In cultivation in the UK this species has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.[3][5]

Subspecies
  • Pseudosasa japonica var. japonica
  • Pseudosasa japonica var. tsutsumiana
gollark: Er, I was going to have a shower soon, can someone take over catching?
gollark: I got the falconiform thingy.
gollark: ARing.
gollark: Razorcrests?
gollark: Maybe we'll learn one day that the trick to NDs is just to use, I don't know, the blue "ravenclaw" ones which are so generic I can't remember the name.

References
  1. "ITIS Standard Report Page: Pseudosasa japonica". Itis.gov. 2009-11-24. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  2. "PLANTS Profile for Pseudosasa japonica (arrow bamboo) | USDA PLANTS". Plants.usda.gov. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  3. "RHS Plantfinder - Pseudosasa japonica". Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  4. "Cape May Bamboo - Pseudosasa Japonica (Japanese Arrow Bamboo)". Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  5. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 82. Retrieved 23 September 2018.

Further reading
  • Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage
  • Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
  • Ohrnberger, D. 1999. The bamboos of the world
  • Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.)
  • Tai Hyun Chung. 1965. Illustrated encyclopedia of fauna & flora of Korea, vol. 5, Tracheophyta


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