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Pseudosasa japonica - (Siebold.&Zucc. ex Steud.)Makino. ex Nakai.

Metake

Author	(Siebold.&Zucc. ex Steud.)Makino. ex Nakai.	Botanical references	11, 58, 200
Family	Gramineae	Genus	Pseudosasa
Synonyms	Arundinaria japonica - Siebold.&Zucc. ex Steud. Bambusa metake - Siebold.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	E. Asia - Japan. Frequently naturalized in Britain.
Habitat	Woodland and damp places, forming thickets in open country, C. and S. Japan[162].
Edibility Rating	2 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	1 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen Bamboo growing to 4.5m by 3m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist or wet soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Deep Shade; Hedge; Bog Garden;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Seed; Stem.

Young shoots - cooked[2, 105, 177]. Harvested in the late spring when about 8 - 10cm above ground level, cutting the stems 5cm or more below soil level. They have a rather bitter flavour[K]. Seed - used as a cereal[105]. Small quantities of seed are produced in many years but it is seldom viable.

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Anthelmintic; Antivinous; Stimulant; Tonic.

Anthelmintic, antivinous, stimulant, tonic[178].

Other Uses

Hedge; Plant support; Soil stabilization.

Plants can be grown along the river edge to protect the banks from erosion[195]. Canes are fairly thin walled but make very good plant supports[25, 75, 195]. Smaller canes can be plaited together and used as screens or as lathes for walls and ceilings[195]. Tolerant of maritime exposure, it can be grown as a screen or windbreak hedge in very exposed positions[75, 166]. The culms make an excellent wind filter, slowing its speed without creating turbulence. The leaves may look somewhat tattered by the end of the winter but plants will soon produce new leaves[K].

Cultivation details

One of the easiest bamboos to grow in Britain, it prefers an open loam of fair quality and a position sheltered from cold drying winds[1, 11, 29] but it tolerates maritime exposure[75, 166]. Succeeds on peaty soils[11]. Succeeds in soils that are half earth and half stone[195]. Requires abundant moisture and plenty of organic matter in the soil[200]. Endures near-saturated soil conditions[200]. Dislikes drought[1]. A very ornamental plant[1], it is said to be the hardiest bamboo[25], tolerating temperatures down to about -15°c[200]. Down to -24°c according to another report. In warmer parts of Britain plants can attain a height of 6 metres or more. The rootstock is running and very invasive[25]. It is fairly easy to control, however, if any new shoots that are not wanted are broken off whilst they are still small and brittle. New shoots appear from April[25]. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[200]. Plants often flower lightly for a number of years without dying out though they seldom produce viable seed[122]. Occasionally the plants can produce an abundance of flowers and this severely weakens, though does not usually kill, the plants. They can take some years to recover. If fed with artificial NPK fertilizers at this time the plants are more likely to die[122]. Many plants flowered heavily in the late 1980's and are only slowly recovering.

Propagation

Seed - if possible, surface sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse at about 20°c. Stored seed is best sown as soon as it is obtained. 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. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a lightly shaded place in the greenhouse until they are large enough to plant out, which might take a few years. Plants only flower at intervals of several years and so seed is rarely available. Division in late spring as new growth commences. Very easy, single canes of the current years growth can be used. Pot them up in light shade in a greenhouse. Make sure the foliage is not allowed to dry out - misting 2 - 3 times a day for the first couple of weeks following division can be very helpful. Plant out in the summer once they are growing away strongly. Cane layering in May. Detach individual canes and lay them horizontally in trenches 15cm deep. New shoots should arise from each joint. Rhizome cuttings.

Cultivars

There are a few named forms, selected for their ornamental value. Since we know of no forms that have been selected for their useful properties, we have not listed any cultivars here and in general, unless you require the specific ornamental properties of a cultivar, we recommend you grow the species rather than any cultivars.

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Hedges and their uses.

References

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

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[25] Lawson. Bamboos. Faber 1968
Fairly comprehensive, it was once the standard work but is now rather dated. Deals with species hardy in Britain, giving cultivation details and some uses.

[29] Shepherd. F.W. Hedges and Screens. Royal Horticultural Society. 1974 ISBN 0900629649
A small but informative booklet giving details of all the hedging plants being grown in the R.H.S. gardens at Wisley in Surrey.

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

[75] Rosewarne experimental horticultural station. Shelter Trees and Hedges. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1984
A small booklet packed with information on trees and shrubs for hedging and shelterbelts in exposed maritime areas.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. 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.

[162] Grounds. R. Ornamental Grasses. Christopher Helm 1989 ISBN 0-7470-1219-9
Cultivation details of many of the grasses and bamboos. Well illustrated.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 0
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.

[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

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

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