Arundinaria
North America's only native bamboo, vital to Indigenous cultures.
Arundinaria is a genus of bamboo in the grass family, the only bamboo native to North America. Its range extends from Maryland south to Florida and west to the southern Ohio Valley and Texas, occurring from the Coastal Plain to medium elevations in the Appalachian Mountains. Prior to European colonization, cane was an important resource for Indigenous peoples of the Americas, forming vast monotypic stands in river lowlands.
Quick Facts
- Native range
- Maryland south to Florida, west to southern Ohio Valley and Texas
- Height range
- 0.5 to 8 m / 26 ft 3 in
- Maximum growth rate
- 1.5 inches per day
- Oldest known basketry art
- at minimum 3000 years old
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Bean poles made from dried canes can last for several years if properly stored.
- In 2022, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians was awarded a $1.9 million grant to restore river cane ecosystems in Oklahoma.
Description
Arundinaria species have running rhizomes and slender, woody culms reaching heights from 0.5 to 8 m. They rarely produce seeds and usually reproduce vegetatively, forming large clonal genets; when seed production does occur, the colony often dies afterward. A colony expands rapidly after disturbances such as fire, with new shoots sprouting from underground rhizomes and growing up to 1.5 inches per day. New stems feature a fan-like cluster of leaves at the top called a topknot.
Taxonomy
As of January 2024, the World Checklist of Vascular Plants accepts four species: Arundinaria alabamensis (Tallapoosa cane), Arundinaria appalachiana (Hill cane), Arundinaria gigantea (River cane), and Arundinaria tecta (Switch cane). The genus has a complex taxonomic history spanning over two centuries. The canes were first described as two species of Arundo by Thomas Walter in 1788. André Michaux, working in 1803, created the genus Arundinaria with one species. In 1813, G.H.E. Muhlenberg transferred Walter's species to Michaux's genus, yielding Arundinaria gigantea and Arundinaria tecta. Some outdated systems assigned more than 400 species to Arundinaria.
Uses
Ethnobotanists consider cane extremely important to Native Americans of the Southeastern Woodlands before European colonization. River cane basketry is at least 3000 years old and is considered among the most difficult and complex weaving technologies. The plant was used for structures, arrow shafts, weapons, torches, fishing equipment, jewelry, baskets, musical instruments, furniture, boats, pipe stems, and medicines. Arundinaria gigantea was historically used for Native American flutes. The Atakapa, Catawba, Muscogee Creek, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee, and other Southeastern tribes used it for mat and basket weaving; the Chitimacha and Eastern Band Cherokee still weave with rivercane today. Cane can be split coarsely or thinly, and its outer surface forms a natural patina with heat or friction.
More in Plants Used in Traditional Native American Medicine
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