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Useful Temperate Plants

Sasa kurilensis

(Rupr.) Makino & Shibata

Poaceae

+ Synonyms

Arundarbor kurilensis (Rupr.) Kuntze

Arundinaria kurilensis Rupr.

Arundinaria sasakiana viridis Nakai

Arundinaria yasaburoana Koidz.

Bambusa kurilensis (Rupr.) Miyabe

Nipponobambusa koidzumii (Makino ex Koidz.) Muroi

Pseudosasa kurilensis (Rupr.) Makino

Pseudosasa uchidae (Makino) Makino

Sasa akagiensis Koidz.

Sasa akitensis Nakai

Sasa arakiyeitiana Koidz.

Sasa blepharodes Koidz.

Sasa buddhistica Koidz.

Sasa capillaris Nakai

Sasa coreana Nakai

Sasa hayachinecola Makino ex Koidz.

Sasa hirta (Koidz.) Tzvelev

Sasa intercedens Koidz.

Sasa jotanii (Kenji Inoue & Tanim.) M.Kobay.

Sasa kariwaensis Koidz.

Sasa kasimontana Nakai

Sasa kassizanensis Koidz.

Sasa koidzumii Makino ex Koidz.

Sasa laevissima Koidz.

Sasa megalophylla ohdana (Koidz.) Sad.Suzuki

Sasa megalophylla pankensis (Nakai) Sad.Suzuki

Sasa michinokuana Koidz.

Sasa notoensis Nakai

Sasa ohdana Koidz.

Sasa okuyezoensis Koidz.

Sasa pankensis Nakai

Sasa pseudocernua hirta Koidz.

Sasa pseudokurilensis Nakai

Sasa pseudonana Nakai

Sasa ramosissima Koidz.

Sasa sacrariocola Koidz.

Sasa septentrionalis pankensis (Nakai) Sad.Suzuki

Sasa spiculosa hirta (Koidz.) Tzvelev

Sasa sugawarae Nakai

Sasa sylvatica Tatew.

Sasa uchidae Makino

Sasa vulcanica Koidz.

Sasa yasokichii Tatew. & Tomooka

Sasa yezo-alpina Nakai

Sasaella yasaburoana Koidz.

Common Name: Chishima Zasa

No Image.

General Information

Sasa kurilensis is an evergreen bamboo that can grow 100 - 200cm tall; the erect, woody culms are around 10mm in diameter with thin-walled internodes[
58
Title
Flora of Japan. (English translation)
Publication
 
Author
Ohwi. G.
Publisher
Smithsonian Institution
Year
1965
ISBN
-
Description
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
]. The rhizomes are elongated, the plant having a running habit that can produce new canes some distance from the main clump. It quickly forms an open thicket of slender, erect culms topped by a loose canopy of large, spreading leaves[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials. The young shoots are so popular in Japan that a license is required in order to collect them[
183
Title
Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications
Year
1990
ISBN
0-9628087-0-9
Description
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. The plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental and can be used in soil stabilization projects.
We have no specific information for this species, but members of this genus have a running rootstock that in some species can become rampant and invasive[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. It is said to hamper the regeneration of forests in its native habitat[
195
Title
The Book of Bamboo
Publication
 
Author
Farrelly. D.
Publisher
Thames & Hudson; London
Year
1996
ISBN
0-500-27911-X
Description
Very readable, giving lots of information on the uses of bamboos, both temperate and tropical.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

58
Title
Flora of Japan. (English translation)
Publication
 
Author
Ohwi. G.
Publisher
Smithsonian Institution
Year
1965
ISBN
-
Description
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
,
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Range

E. Asia - Russian Far East (Sakhalin), northern and central Japan, Korea.

Habitat

Forms compact clumps in thickets on high mountain slopes, C. and N. Japan[
74
Title
Flora of the USSR.
Publication
 
Author
Komarov. V. L.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Israel Program for Scientific Translation
Year
1968
ISBN
-
Description
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
,
58
Title
Flora of Japan. (English translation)
Publication
 
Author
Ohwi. G.
Publisher
Smithsonian Institution
Year
1965
ISBN
-
Description
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Edibility Rating *  *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Bamboo
Height4.00 m
PollinatorsWind
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Sasa kurilensis is a very hardy species, it grows wild further north than any other bamboo, succeeding even in areas with heavy snow[
195
Title
The Book of Bamboo
Publication
 
Author
Farrelly. D.
Publisher
Thames & Hudson; London
Year
1996
ISBN
0-500-27911-X
Description
Very readable, giving lots of information on the uses of bamboos, both temperate and tropical.
]. It tolerates temperatures down to about -20°c[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Species in this genus generally grow best in partial shade, preferring a damp humus rich soil[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
A polymorphic species[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
There is at least one named form, selected for its ornamental value[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Yields of stems harvested for their fibres in Japan are around 45 tonnes per hectare per year though the cost of gathering and bundling the canes makes economic use problematic[
195
Title
The Book of Bamboo
Publication
 
Author
Farrelly. D.
Publisher
Thames & Hudson; London
Year
1996
ISBN
0-500-27911-X
Description
Very readable, giving lots of information on the uses of bamboos, both temperate and tropical.
].
Bamboos have an interesting method of growth. Each plant produces a number of new stems annually - these stems grow to their maximum height in their first year of growth, subsequent growth in the stem being limited to the production of new side branches and leaves. In the case of some mature tropical species the new stem could be as much as 30 metres tall, with daily increases in height of 30cm or more during their peak growth time. This makes them some of the fastest-growing species in the world[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Bamboos in general are usually monocarpic, living for many years before flowering, then flowering and seeding profusely for a period of 1 - 3 years before usually dying. This pattern can vary - sometimes flowering is sporadic, with plants flowering annually and not dying; at other times it is gregarious with all the plants in a specific species coming into flower at the same time.

Edible Uses

Young shoots - cooked[
177
Title
Plants for Human Consumption.
Publication
 
Author
Kunkel. G.
Publisher
Koeltz Scientific Books
Year
1984
ISBN
3874292169
Description
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
]. They are so popular in Japan that a license is required in order to collect them[
183
Title
Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications
Year
1990
ISBN
0-9628087-0-9
Description
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
].

Seed - used as a cereal[
177
Title
Plants for Human Consumption.
Publication
 
Author
Kunkel. G.
Publisher
Koeltz Scientific Books
Year
1984
ISBN
3874292169
Description
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
]. The seed is only produced at intervals of many years.

Medicinal

A potential cure for cancer has been discovered in the leaf[
195
Title
The Book of Bamboo
Publication
 
Author
Farrelly. D.
Publisher
Thames & Hudson; London
Year
1996
ISBN
0-500-27911-X
Description
Very readable, giving lots of information on the uses of bamboos, both temperate and tropical.
].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant has rampant roots and this can be utilized in soil stabilization schemes[
195
Title
The Book of Bamboo
Publication
 
Author
Farrelly. D.
Publisher
Thames & Hudson; London
Year
1996
ISBN
0-500-27911-X
Description
Very readable, giving lots of information on the uses of bamboos, both temperate and tropical.
]. It would be best to only use this plant in soil stabilization projects within its native range due to its propensity to spread and potential for invading other habitats[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

Other Uses

The canes are used for making particle boards such as hardboard[
195
Title
The Book of Bamboo
Publication
 
Author
Farrelly. D.
Publisher
Thames & Hudson; London
Year
1996
ISBN
0-500-27911-X
Description
Very readable, giving lots of information on the uses of bamboos, both temperate and tropical.
]. The fibre dimensions mean that it is more suitable for thick paper and fibreboard than for thin papers[
195
Title
The Book of Bamboo
Publication
 
Author
Farrelly. D.
Publisher
Thames & Hudson; London
Year
1996
ISBN
0-500-27911-X
Description
Very readable, giving lots of information on the uses of bamboos, both temperate and tropical.
].
The canes are also used as plant supports etc.

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 received. 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 into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a lightly shaded place in the greenhouse until large enough to plant out, which could be 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. Take large divisions, trying to cause as little root disturbance to the main clump 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
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Divisions of less than 5 - 6 culms rarely succeed[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Sasa+kurilensis>

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