Arundinaria tecta

Arundinaria tecta, or switchcane, is a bamboo species native to the Southeast United States, first studied in 1813. It serves as host to several butterfly species. The species typically occurs in palustrine wetlands, swamps, small to medium blackwater rivers, on deep peat in pocosins, and in small seepages with organic soils. The species is only known to occur in the Atlantic Plain, Gulf Coastal Plain, and Mississippi Embayment, though it was earlier thought to exist in the Piedmont and Southern Appalachians as well. Specimens from the uplands are now thought to be a separate but morphologically similar species, Arundinaria appalachiana.

Description


Arundinaria tecta is a low and slender bamboo that branches in its upper half, growing up to 0.6-4 m in height. A. tecta features long primary branches usually greater than 50 cm in length. The leaves are 8-20 cm long and 0.8-3 cm wide, tapering in width towards their base. Both leaf surfaces are densely pubescent. The midculm leaves of A. tecta are longer than their associated internodes. The panicles are borne on shoots that grow directly from the rhizomes. Rhizomes feature continuous air canals. Each panicle has a few clustered spikelets on slender branches. These branches have loose sheaths with minute leaves. The spikelets are 2.5-5 cm long and have five to ten flowers.

The plant flowers from March to June. Flowering can be stimulated by fire.