Phyllostachys arcana
McClure
Arcana bamboo
Wikimedia Commons - Daderot
Daderot (via Wikimedia Commons)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Shoots
The young shoots are harvested in spring for cooking, collected when about 8cm above ground and cut roughly 5cm below soil level. Around 3cm in diameter, they are reported to be of good quality with a delicious flavour.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate to subtropical plant. It grows in China between 700-1,800 m altitude in coastal and southern provinces. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Asia, China,
How to Identify
A bamboo. It grows about 8 m tall. The culms are 3 cm across. The internodes are 20 cm long. There are 2 or 3 leaves on the last branches. The leaf blade is 7-11 cm long by 1-2 cm wide.
How to Grow
Prefers a rich damp soil with shelter from cold harsh winds and prolonged frosts. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c. This is a good companion species to grow in a woodland because the plants are shallow rooted and do not compete with deep rooted trees. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus. Plants only flower at intervals of many years. When they do come into flower most of the plants energies are directed into producing seed and consequently the plant is severely weakened. They sometimes die after flowering, but if left alone they will usually recover though they will look very poorly for a few years. If fed with artificial NPK fertilizers at this time the plants are more likely to die.
Propagation: Surface sow fresh seed in a greenhouse at around 20°C, keeping the compost consistently moist. Germination is usually fairly quick with good-quality seed, though it may take 3–6 months. Grow seedlings in light shade under glass until large enough to plant out. Seed is rarely available. Divide clumps in spring as new growth begins — divisions from open ground transplant poorly and should be potted and kept under cover until at least late spring. Carry out division during wet weather; small divisions establish more reliably than large clumps. Alternatively, large divisions can be lifted and moved directly to their permanent positions if misted or drenched frequently until established. Basal cane cuttings can also be taken in spring.
Medicinal Uses
None known.
Other Uses
The hard canes serve as handles for farm implements and as structural elements in bamboo appliances. They are also used for matting and making lanterns.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Phyllostachys arcana is a species of bamboo found in Anhui, Gansu, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang provinces of China at elevations of 700 – 1800 meters
Other Information
It is a cultivated food plant.
Names & Synonyms
Shi lu zhu
References (3)
- Flora of China. Vol. 22 p 169
- http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/sorting/Bamboos_Edible.html
- Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 645
