Bamboo/Cane - What's the difference?

[Bamboozle]

I have a beginner question. Is there a difference between Bamboo and Cane? Since my childhood, grown folks have referred to 'Cane pole breaks' because they go there to cut fishing poles. Is 'cane pole' a misnomer or just a common name for Bamboo? Is all cane actually Bamboo? I have seen the term 'cane' used when the discussion or the article was clearly about Bamboo.
Thank you.

[Mark Meckes]

Hi, in the book, Bamboo and Cane Crafts of Northeast India ( http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1039), cane is referred to the plant rattan, which is another Common Name for a climbing or trailing plant in the palm family, primarily of the genus Calamus.
A lot of furniture imported into the US is made of rattan, which can be noted by the ease in which it can be bent into circular and curved shapes. Thin strips of (imported) material that are used for weaving cane seats and basketry are also made from rattan, though bamboo strips are also used for this purpose.

In the USA, the native species of bamboo, Arundinaria gigantea have been called canebrakes. When there used to be vast tracts of this species growing along waterways in the 1800's, slaves escaping northward for their freedom would seek refuge in these canebrakes.

Due to the fact that their are no native species of bamboo in Europe, the `Western' culture has always been pretty clueless about what is, or is not bamboo, therefore their are few common words in our vocabulary to associate the differences.
From WordNet...
n 1: a stick that people can lean on to help them walk 2: a strong slender often flexible stem as of bamboos, reeds, rattans, or sugar cane 3: a stiff switch used to hit students as punishment v : beat with a cane

Another plant that is not bamboo, but rather a grass, has leaves that look more like leaves of corn (Zea mays), though having canes looking somewhat similar to bamboo - is Arundo donax, Common name - Giant Reed (go figure!).

Yet another grass that produces bamboo-like canes is Miscanthus giganteus, AKA Miscanthus floridulus.
In Japan this is called (English translation) `bamboo grass'.
In Papua New Guinea, where this plant is split and used extensively for weaving walls, floors and ceiling panels, it is called `pitpit' (in pigin english)
I saw it there and also grew it in the US and can tell you why it was called this... As the sun would dry the morning dew off of the persistent culm sheaths clasping the lower part of the canes, you can hear the sound
pit-pit-pit. So here is an example of how people who use a plant extensively developed a terminology to differentiate between differing species of bamboo-like plants!

Mark

[Bamboozle]

Mark,

Thank you for the explanation about cane and Bamboo. Since Arundinaria gigantea is the species native to America I would venture to guess that is the kind of Bamboo I have access to, so I'll feel correct, and not at all uncomfortable, in calling it Bamboo.

Because there are so many varieties, some estimates exceed well over 1,300, is there a picture of Arundinaria gigantea in one of the galleries that I can use to help me identify what I have? I'll start looking there as soon as I post this. Are there other factors that I should consider in identifying what I have? Are there features which would distinguish Arundinaria gigantea from another species that might fool a novice? As far as using my Bamboo for flutes and other crafts, does it make much difference what the species is?

Thank you very much.

[Mark Meckes]

> .. is there a picture of Arundinaria gigantea in one of the galleries?
Hi, a category has been started in the Gallery Bamboo Flora for Arundinaria gigantea (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=543)

See pics in the album - Arundinaria gigantea (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=544), at the Hartman Prehistoric Gardens, Zilker Botanical Gardens - Austin Texas USA

I've got pics of growing it in Pennsylvania somewhere, and also from a recent trip through Alabama and Georgia will post soon. They can look quite different growing in the wild, sometimes more lanky, sometimes much smaller in stature.
There is a more dimunitive sub-species - Arundinaria gigantea ssp. tecta.
I haven't been able to easily tell stuntedA. gigantea and A.g. tecta apart at glance.

Have you seen A. gigantea in your neck of the woods?

Mark

[Bamboozle]

Hi Mark,

Thank you for posting the pictures. I don't think this is what I have. But with there being, by some estimates, maybe 2,000 species of Bamboo I guess it's possible to have something closely related. The stems where the leaves come out of the branches of what I have look a little different. And I think the leaves in the photo are broader than what I have. The node length looks about the same though.

On a slightly different note, I harvested some Bamboo a few days ago. I know that generally speaking this is not harvest time, as everything is shooting up right now, but the grove suffered a grass fire several months ago, all the leaves on what I cut have been dead for a month or longer and I thought I'd try some culms for flutes before they rotted. I thought the culms would have dried by now, but most of them were still a little wet. Do you think they'll eventually put out new stems and leaves? I'm pretty sure the grove is immature, as there were remnants of sheaths that weren't totally destroyed at the base of nearly every culm in the grove. And the culm height wasn't what I expected from a mature grove. And culm thickkness was a fairly consistant, nearly 1/4" regardless the culm diameter.

I know the grove is going to survive because there are shoots emerging around the perimeter prolifically and in the midst of the grove in places. Some of the shoots are 3/4" to 2" and some (many) are pencil thin.

I've been told that flute makers favor using "Silver Stripe." Can you tell me about Silver Stripe? Is it easy to transplant and grow? How tall can it grow and how far will it be to the first branches? How many plants would be required now to have a quarter acre of mature stock in 5 to 7 years? I'm in zone 7.

Thank you Mark.

[neilh]

I fyou google Arundo donax (giant reed)you will find some images.Giant reed is used for pan pipes(ancient)and all clarinet reeds(modern).Cheers

[Bamboozle]

Thank you for the information. I googled and there is very much interesting information and good pictures. Although the internode length looks like it would be good for making flutes, I doubt I'll be able to find that variety unless I could vacation in Texas just to look for it. A map shows that there is none located in Louisiana, yet. It's more likely it would be found along the Gulf coast first, but I live in the Northern part of the state.
Again, thank you.
Bamboozle