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Chimonobambusa quadrangularis

Common name:	Square Bamboo	Family:	Gramineae
Author:	(Fenzi.)Makino.	Botanical references:	58
Synonyms:	Tetragonacalamus quadrangularis ((Fenzi.)Makino.), Bambusa quadrangularis (Fenzi.), Arundinaria quadrangularis ((Fenzi.)Makino.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - S.E. China, Formosa. Naturalized in south-western England.
Habitat:	Forests.
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Arundinaria angulata[G]
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	angularis = angular quadrangularis = 4 angled quadrangula = 4 angled
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Cyperales. Renamed to Poaceae -- Grass family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen bamboo growing to 3m. It is hardy to zone 6. It is in leaf all year. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Wind. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedge, Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

Stem.

Young shoots - cooked. An excellent relish. The canes are up to 20mm in diameter[K].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Hedge Plant support Wood.

The canes make good plant supports and are excellent material for handicrafts[195].
Can be grown as a hedge or screen[200].

Cultivation details

Prefers a good loamy soil. Succeeds in most soils so long as they do not dry out. Dislikes drought. Prefers a position sheltered from cold north and east winds.
Plants are only reliably hardy in the mildest areas of Britain. Another report says that the plants are generally hardy, although severe winters may damage the leaves the plant itself can withstand temperatures down to about -15° c[200].
The square bamboo is cultivated for its edible stems in China and Japan.
This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[200].
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[122].
The rootstock is running but it does not produce many new shoots and is not overly invasive[195]. The plant is rampant in its native range and other warm temperate areas, but it does not spread much in colder areas such as Britain[200]. The shoots are wide spaced and are produced from late May. Canes can be snapped off the plant. A plant at Trebah gardens in &ndndndnd had new shoots 3 metres long in mid-April 1995[K].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse at about 20° c. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination usually takes place fairly quickly so long as the seed is of good quality, though it can take 3 - 6 months. Grow on in a lightly shaded place in the greenhouse until large enough to plant out. Seed is rarely available.
Division in spring as new growth commences. Take divisions with at least three canes in the clump, trying to cause as little root disturbance to the main plant as possible. Grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse in pots of a high fertility sandy medium. Mist the foliage regularly until plants are established. Plant them out into their permanent positions when a good root system has developed, which can take a year or more[200].
Basal cane cuttings.
Rhizome cuttings.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

Latin and Worldwide Common Names From Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database by M. H. Porcher et. al. 1995 - 2000 Landcare Systems Research Laboratory, Department of Crop Production,Institute of Land and Food Resources, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[122] ? The Plantsman. Vol. 1. 1979 - 1980. Royal Horticultural Society 1979
Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants. A good article on the flowering of bamboos.

[195] Farrelly. D. The Book of Bamboo Sierra Club. 1984 ISBN 0-87156-825-X
Very readable, giving lots of information on the uses of bamboos, both temperate and tropical.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Chimonobambusa+quadrangularis
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