Arundinaria appalachiana
Encyclopedia
Arundinaria appalachiana, commonly known as hill cane, is a woody bamboo
native to the Appalachian Mountains
in the southeastern United States
. The plant was elevated to the species level in 2006 based on new morphological and genetic information and was previously treated as a variety of Arundinaria tecta. As a relatively small member of its genus, it usually only attains heights of 0.5 to 1.0 metre with an either dense or diffuse habit. It is one of only three temperate species of bamboo native to North America
. Hill cane is common on dry to mesic
sites on upland slopes, bluffs and ridges in oak-hickory forests. In contrast to its sympatric relatives, Arundinaria gigantea typically appears along perennial streams, while A. tecta is found in swamp
s and other very wet areas.
n bamboos. Two species were originally described by Thomas Walter in 1788, namely Arundo gigantea and Arundo tecta. Since that time the phenotypic
diversity of the American bamboos has led to a variety of taxonomic treatments. One of the more recent and thorough surveys of Arundinaria
was undertaken by Floyd Alonzo McClure in 1973 and includes only one species, namely Arundinaria gigantea.
Arundinaria appalachiana was first distinguished under the name Arundinaria tecta var. decidua, which was applied by C.D. Beadle in 1914 upon noticing the deciduous leaves. Beadle himself and many botanists to follow noted that hill cane may be a distinct species. During the second half of the twentieth century it became quite clear that hill cane could not be properly treated within A. tecta or A. gigantea. After cladistic
genetic analysis was performed by Triplett and Clark it was determined that each of the three types of cane has a monophyletic lineage, supporting the case for three species. Morphological
analysis has also supported this decision.
e (i.e. bristles where the sheath meets the blade) that are very short at 1 to 4.6 mm. The culm blades that appear at the of the apex of the sheaths are much shorter than the foliage leaves and measure 0.8 to 1.4 cm long.
In Arundinaria, each new culm is topped with a fan-shaped cluster of leaves called a top knot. In A. appalachiana these consist of 6 to 12 leaves that are 9 to 22.5 cm in length by 1.4 to 2.8 cm in width and are linear
(i.e. long and narrow), lanceolate (i.e. lance-shaped; slightly wider in the middle), or ovate-lanceolate (i.e. intermediate between egg-shaped and lance-shaped). The primary branches are erect, terete and typically no longer than 35 cm long. The bases of the primary branches contain between 2 and 5 compressed internodes and secondary branching does not occur at these basal areas. The foliage leaves are deciduous and their blades are typically 5 to 20 cm long by 0.8 to 2 cm wide. The blades have rounded bases and are chartaceous (i.e. paper-like). Their abaxial surfaces (i.e. undersides) show weak cross veining and are pilose (i.e. covered with fine, soft hairs) or glabrous (hairless), while the adaxial surfaces (i.e. upper sides) are always pilose. The ligule
s (i.e. a thin outgrowth at the meeting of the leaf and its sheath) are either glabrous or ciliate (i.e. fringed with hairs), lacerate (i.e. jagged) or fimbriate (i.e. fringed).
The spikelets, the inflorescence
found on all grasses, measure 3 to 5.5 cm in length and are typically a subtle reddish-purple in colour. Each spikelet contains 5 to 8 florets. Flowering is currently very poorly understood. During the research done on the plant by Triplett, Weakley and Clark when describing the species, only one flowering specimen was encountered. While flowering is rare in most bamboos, this evidence suggests that it may be even less common in hill cane.
and upper Piedmont
of the southeastern US in the western Carolinas, southeastern Tennessee
, northern Georgia
and northeastern Alabama
. It is found at elevations ranging from 300 to 800 metres, though sometimes up to 1065 metres. Its most typical habitat is on dry to somewhat mesic
upland slopes, but it can also be found less typically in somewhat moister soils, next to spring seeps or along small streams.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
native to the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
in the southeastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The plant was elevated to the species level in 2006 based on new morphological and genetic information and was previously treated as a variety of Arundinaria tecta. As a relatively small member of its genus, it usually only attains heights of 0.5 to 1.0 metre with an either dense or diffuse habit. It is one of only three temperate species of bamboo native to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Hill cane is common on dry to mesic
Mesic habitat
In ecology, a mesic habitat is a type of habitat with a moderate or well-balanced supply of moisture, e.g., a mesic forest, a temperate hardwood forest, or dry-mesic prairie. Compared to a dry habitat, a mesic habitat is moister....
sites on upland slopes, bluffs and ridges in oak-hickory forests. In contrast to its sympatric relatives, Arundinaria gigantea typically appears along perennial streams, while A. tecta is found in swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s and other very wet areas.
Taxonomy
There has long been question to the taxonomic status of the eastern North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n bamboos. Two species were originally described by Thomas Walter in 1788, namely Arundo gigantea and Arundo tecta. Since that time the phenotypic
Phenotype
A phenotype is an organism's observable characteristics or traits: such as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties, behavior, and products of behavior...
diversity of the American bamboos has led to a variety of taxonomic treatments. One of the more recent and thorough surveys of Arundinaria
Arundinaria
Arundinaria, commonly known as the canes, is the sole genus of bamboo native to South Africa and eastern North America and the only temperate bamboo in North America. The genus is endemic to the eastern United States from New Jersey south to Florida and west to Ohio and Texas...
was undertaken by Floyd Alonzo McClure in 1973 and includes only one species, namely Arundinaria gigantea.
Arundinaria appalachiana was first distinguished under the name Arundinaria tecta var. decidua, which was applied by C.D. Beadle in 1914 upon noticing the deciduous leaves. Beadle himself and many botanists to follow noted that hill cane may be a distinct species. During the second half of the twentieth century it became quite clear that hill cane could not be properly treated within A. tecta or A. gigantea. After cladistic
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
genetic analysis was performed by Triplett and Clark it was determined that each of the three types of cane has a monophyletic lineage, supporting the case for three species. Morphological
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
analysis has also supported this decision.
Description
Arundinaria appalachiana is the smallest member of its genus with the culms (i.e. the above-ground stems) usually attaining heights of 0.5 to 1 metre, though they are sometimes up to 1.8 metres tall. They are also quite thin at 0.2 to 0.6 cm in diameter. As with all bamboos, the culms emerge from subterranean rhizomes. In the case of hill cane, these are leptomorph, meaning they spread horizontally, but they typically do not reach very far before turning up to form a new culm. The rhizomes vary somewhat morphologically in that they sometimes have hollow centres and air canals The culms have internodes that are terete (i.e. smooth and cylindrical, but slightly tapering), while the culm sheaths are usually persistent (meaning they are not shed), but they may fall late in winter. These sheaths are 5.5 to 11 cm in length with oral setaSeta
Seta is a biological term derived from the Latin word for "bristle". It refers to a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms.-Animal setae:In zoology, most "setae" occur in invertebrates....
e (i.e. bristles where the sheath meets the blade) that are very short at 1 to 4.6 mm. The culm blades that appear at the of the apex of the sheaths are much shorter than the foliage leaves and measure 0.8 to 1.4 cm long.
In Arundinaria, each new culm is topped with a fan-shaped cluster of leaves called a top knot. In A. appalachiana these consist of 6 to 12 leaves that are 9 to 22.5 cm in length by 1.4 to 2.8 cm in width and are linear
Linear (disambiguation)
The word linear comes from the Latin word linearis, which means created by lines.Usage in mathematics:* Linearity* Linear code* Linear equation* Linear function* Linear programming, a type of optimization problem* Linear system...
(i.e. long and narrow), lanceolate (i.e. lance-shaped; slightly wider in the middle), or ovate-lanceolate (i.e. intermediate between egg-shaped and lance-shaped). The primary branches are erect, terete and typically no longer than 35 cm long. The bases of the primary branches contain between 2 and 5 compressed internodes and secondary branching does not occur at these basal areas. The foliage leaves are deciduous and their blades are typically 5 to 20 cm long by 0.8 to 2 cm wide. The blades have rounded bases and are chartaceous (i.e. paper-like). Their abaxial surfaces (i.e. undersides) show weak cross veining and are pilose (i.e. covered with fine, soft hairs) or glabrous (hairless), while the adaxial surfaces (i.e. upper sides) are always pilose. The ligule
Ligule
A ligule — is a thin outgrowth at the junction of leaf and leafstalk of many grasses and sedges or a strap-shaped corolla, such as that of a ray floret in plants in the daisy family....
s (i.e. a thin outgrowth at the meeting of the leaf and its sheath) are either glabrous or ciliate (i.e. fringed with hairs), lacerate (i.e. jagged) or fimbriate (i.e. fringed).
The spikelets, the inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
found on all grasses, measure 3 to 5.5 cm in length and are typically a subtle reddish-purple in colour. Each spikelet contains 5 to 8 florets. Flowering is currently very poorly understood. During the research done on the plant by Triplett, Weakley and Clark when describing the species, only one flowering specimen was encountered. While flowering is rare in most bamboos, this evidence suggests that it may be even less common in hill cane.
Distribution and habitat
Arundinaria appalachiana is native to the southern Appalachian MountainsAppalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
and upper Piedmont
Piedmont (United States)
The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division...
of the southeastern US in the western Carolinas, southeastern Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, northern Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and northeastern Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. It is found at elevations ranging from 300 to 800 metres, though sometimes up to 1065 metres. Its most typical habitat is on dry to somewhat mesic
Mesic habitat
In ecology, a mesic habitat is a type of habitat with a moderate or well-balanced supply of moisture, e.g., a mesic forest, a temperate hardwood forest, or dry-mesic prairie. Compared to a dry habitat, a mesic habitat is moister....
upland slopes, but it can also be found less typically in somewhat moister soils, next to spring seeps or along small streams.