Arundinaria tecta

Family:POACEAE
Species:Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhl.
Common Name:Switch Cane; Small Cane
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:Switch Cane is a native bamboo in the Grass family (Poaceae). It occurs primarily on the Coastal Plain, and is most common in the southern third of the state. Switch Cane occurs in mesic hardwood forests, on slopes, in ravines, in pine flatwoods, and along small streams and seeps. It grows from 1-6 feet in height. It is colonial from woody rhizomes with continuous air canals. The culms (stems) are erect, terete, woody, green or tan in color, with hollow internodes. Leaves are alternate, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, evergreen or tardily deciduous, pubescent or glabrous above, pubescent below, with numerous cross-veins. Plants often have a “fan” of 9-12 closely spaced leaves at the top of an otherwise bare stem. The leaf sheaths are persistent and fimbriate. Flowers are produced in spikelets of 5-10 arranged in panicles. Flowering is stimulated by fire. The fruit is a grain. Switch Cane can form extensive stands known as “canebreaks”. These areas provide food and cover for many species of wildlife. Switch Cane is a larval food plant for several species of butterflies and moths including the Southern Pearly Eye (Enodia portlandia), Creole Pearly Eye (Enodia creola), Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes Aesculapius), Reversed Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes reversa), and Carolina Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes Carolina). The hollow stems can be split and woven into baskets or mats. Due to its dense network of rhizomes, Switch Cane is sometimes planted for erosion control and stream bank stabilization.—A. Diamond.
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Native
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyPOACEAE - Grass family
Genus Arundinaria
Species Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhl. - Switch Cane; Small Cane

Citation

Citation Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg, Cat. Pl. Amer. Sept. 14. 1813.
Basionym: Arundo tecta Walter 1788.
Type: USA: MARYLAND: Anne Arundel Co.: Swamp lying between Stony Run Creek and the Pennsylvania Railroad, near Friendship International Airport, s.d., McClure 22000 (neotype: US). Neotypified by McClure, Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 9: 28. 1973.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Arundinaria gigantea ssp. tecta    

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Bullock, Butler, Clarke, Elmore, Escambia, Geneva, Houston, Lamar, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Mobile, Pike, Tuscaloosa, Washington

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AUA, JSU, TROY, UNA, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1951 - 2021

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
Image
AUA000015278 Lowndes 9 Sep 2004 Hansen, Curtis J.
1625
AUA
Arundinaria Tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
JSU106513 Baldwin 01 Sep 1997 Brodeur, Kristin R.
66
JSU
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
UWAL0056664 Lamar 29 Jun 2021 England, Kevin J.
12341
UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
TROY000031431 Elmore 19 Jun 1960 Banks, Donald J.
283
TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
JSU106514 Washington 01 Nov 1997 Higginbotham, Jerri W.
369
JSU
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
UWAL0049129 Escambia 05 May 2012 Hansen, Curtis J.
5558
UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
UWAL0044057 Baldwin 13 Mar 2001 McArthur, Jill D.
s.n.
UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhl.
UWAL0047830 Madison 12 Jun 2020 England, J. Kevin
11102
UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
TROY000033575 Barbour 27 Aug 2011 Ryan, Lauren
30
TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
AUA000015292 Macon 25 Jul 1962 Swingle, W.E.
AUA
Arundinaria Tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
TROY000050259 Autauga 04 Nov 2020 Parker, Matthew R.
1898
TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
AUA000015293 Lee 28 Jul 1962 Gramlich, Jim
AUA
Arundinaria Tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
UNA00003518 Tuscaloosa 01 Aug 1951 Harper, Roland M.
4184
UNA
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
AUA000015288 Bibb May 1891 Andrews, Elizabeth F.
AUA
Arundinaria Tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
TROY000036275 Bullock 27 Jun 2012 Dykes, Bailee
935
TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
UWAL0012453 Butler 08 Sep 2012 Diamond, Alvin R.
23315
UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
AUA000025604 Clarke 17 Feb 2012 Barger, T. Wayne
SW23
AUA
Arundinaria Tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
UWAL0014668 Butler 27 Apr 2013 Diamond, Alvin R.
23959
UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
AUA000015291 Lee 29 Oct 1959 Banks, Donald J.
AUA
Arundinaria Tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
UWAL0050435 Mobile 11 Jul 2014 Horne, Howard E.
2638
UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
TROY000026396 Bibb 10 May 2003 Spaulding, Daniel D.
11836
TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
AUA000015289 Clarke 27 Mar 1981 O'Halloran, K.
024
AUA
Arundinaria Tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
TROY000035356 Butler 08 Sep 2012 Diamond, Alvin R.
23315
TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
TROY000048602 Autauga 03 May 2018 Parker, Matthew R.
1664
TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
TROY000026869 Baldwin 20 Jul 2007 Spaulding, Daniel D.
12725
TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
UWAL0008789 Baldwin 20 Jul 2007 Spaulding, Daniel D.
12725
UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
AUA000015287 Bibb May 1891 Andrews, Elizabeth F.
AUA
Arundinaria Tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
TROY000032013 Pike 09 Apr 2010 Diamond, Alvin R.
21238
TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
UNA00056728 Geneva 31 Dec 1998 MacDonald, John R.
12501
UNA
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
UWAL0002238 Pike 09 Apr 2010 Diamond, Alvin R.
21238
UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
UNA00034101 Mobile _ Apr 1890 Mohr, Charles
s.n.
UNA
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
UWAL0014707 Bullock 27 Jun 2012 Dykes, Bailee
935
UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
AUA000015290 Elmore 19 Jun 1960 Banks, Donald J.
283
AUA
Arundinaria Tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
ALNHS00006869 Autauga 25 May 2020 Yawn, Noah D.
#23
ALNHS
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
TROY000037619 Butler 27 Apr 2013 Diamond, Alvin R.
23959
TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
UWAL0048045 Bullock 09 Mar 2018 Soehren, Eric C.
535
UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
UNA00061122 Bibb 10 May 2003 Spaulding, Daniel D.
11836
UNA
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
ALNHS00003633 Houston 5 Nov 2015 Barger, T. Wayne
DTP-235
ALNHS
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
UWAL0046270 Autauga 03 May 2018 Parker, Matthew R.
1664
UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
AUA000038003 Escambia 5 May 2012 Hansen, Curtis J.
5558
AUA
Arundinaria Tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
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