giant cane
(Arundinaria gigantea (Walt.) Muhl.)
Overview
- Appearance
- Arundinaria gigantea is a native, perennial, evergreen grass that grows from 6.6-32.8 ft (2-10 m) tall. The stems are coarse, round and hollow. They are from 0.7-3.0 in. (2-7.6 cm) across. It is native from Texas east to the coast and as far north as New York.
- Foliage
- Leaves are medium green and narrowly lanceolate to elliptic in shape. They range from 3.9-11.8 in. (10-30 cm) long and about 0.8- 1.6 inches (2-4 cm) wide. Leaves are entire with tiny teeth along the margins.
- Flowers
- The dark green flowers are racemes or simple panicles, however like most bamboos A. gigantea rarely flowers. A. gigantea produces long rhizomes, which is the main method of reproduction.
- Fruit
- The fruit is a caryopsis, about 0.3 inch (8 mm) long and 0.1 inch (3 mm) wide.
- Ecological Threat
- More than 98% of all large canebrakes in the U.S. have been lost and are considered endangered ecosystems. Large canebrakes historically performed a valuable role in protecting water quality by their ability to mediate sedimentation and nutrient pollution. They also provided a level of flood control in low-lying areas. The loss of cane habitat has been strongly tied to declines in several associated wildlife species. The young culms are high in protein, calcium, phosphorus, and other nutrients and are eaten by cattle, horses, sheep, deer, beavers, and black bears. There is now work being done in restoration of canebrakes, using prescribed fire to reduce competition and planting cane grown for restoration efforts.
Invasive Listing Sources
No reference that we have lists this species as invasive in North America. This species is included for comparison to other species that are considered invasive.
Taxonomic Rank
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class:
Liliopsida
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Subclass: Commelinidae
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Order:
Cyperales
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Family:
Poaceae
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Genus:
Arundinaria
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Subject:
Arundinaria gigantea (Walt.) Muhl.
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