Arundinaria tecta

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
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
ALNHS00006869 Autauga 25 May 2020 Yawn, Noah D.
#23		 ALNHS
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
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.
TROY000050259 Autauga 04 Nov 2020 Parker, Matthew R.
1898		 TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
AUA000015289 Clarke 27 Mar 1981 O'HALLORAN, K.
024		 AUA
ARUNDINARIA TECTA (WALT.) MUHL.
UWAL0047830 Madison 12 Jun 2020 England, J. Kevin
11102		 UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
UWAL0014707 Bullock 27 Jun 2012 Dykes, Bailee
935		 UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
AUA000015291 Lee 29 Oct 1959 BANKS, DONALD J.
 AUA
ARUNDINARIA TECTA (WALT.) MUHL.
TROY000048602 Autauga 03 May 2018 Parker, Matthew R.
1664		 TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
ALNHS00003633 Houston 5 Nov 2015 Barger, T. Wayne
DTP-235		 ALNHS
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
UWAL0014668 Butler 27 Apr 2013 Diamond, Alvin R.
23959		 UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
TROY000033575 Barbour 27 Aug 2011 Ryan, Lauren
30		 TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
AUA000015290 Elmore 19 Jun 1960 BANKS, DONALD J.
283		 AUA
ARUNDINARIA TECTA (WALT.) MUHL.
TROY000031431 Elmore 19 Jun 1960 Banks, Donald J.
283		 TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
TROY000026869 Baldwin 20 Jul 2007 Spaulding, Daniel D.
12725		 TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
UNA00003518 Tuscaloosa 01 Aug 1951 Harper, Roland M.
4184		 UNA
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
TROY000036275 Bullock 27 Jun 2012 Dykes, Bailee
935		 TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
AUA000038003 Escambia 5 May 2012 HANSEN, CURTIS J.
5558		 AUA
ARUNDINARIA TECTA (WALT.) MUHL.
TROY000035356 Butler 08 Sep 2012 Diamond, Alvin R.
23315		 TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
UNA00061122 Bibb 10 May 2003 Spaulding, Daniel D.
11836		 UNA
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
JSU106513 Baldwin 01 Sep 1997 Brodeur, Kristin R.
66		 JSU
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
AUA000015287 Bibb May 1891 ANDREWS, ELIZABETH F.
 AUA
ARUNDINARIA TECTA (WALT.) MUHL.
UWAL0048045 Bullock 09 Mar 2018 Soehren, Eric C.
535		 UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
UWAL0008789 Baldwin 20 Jul 2007 Spaulding, Daniel D.
12725		 UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
TROY000037619 Butler 27 Apr 2013 Diamond, Alvin R.
23959		 TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
UNA00056728 Geneva 31 Dec 1998 MacDonald, John R.
12501		 UNA
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
AUA000046818 Autauga 25 May 2020 YAWN, NOAH D.
23		 AUA
ARUNDINARIA TECTA (WALT.) MUHL.
TROY000032013 Pike 09 Apr 2010 Diamond, Alvin R.
21238		 TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
UWAL0002238 Pike 09 Apr 2010 Diamond, Alvin R.
21238		 UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
UWAL0059660 Autauga 22 May 2024 Keener, Brian R.
13179		 UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhl.
AUA000015292 Macon 25 Jul 1962 SWINGLE, W.E.
 AUA
ARUNDINARIA TECTA (WALT.) MUHL.
AUA000015278 Lowndes 9 Sep 2004 HANSEN, CURTIS J.
1625		 AUA
ARUNDINARIA TECTA (WALT.) MUHL.
UWAL0056664 Lamar 29 Jun 2021 England, Kevin J.
12341		 UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
JSU106514 Washington 01 Nov 1997 Higginbotham, Jerri W.
369		 JSU
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
UWAL0050435 Mobile 11 Jul 2014 Horne, Howard E.
2638		 UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
UWAL0044057 Baldwin 13 Mar 2001 McArthur, Jill D.
s.n.		 UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhl.
AUA000015288 Bibb May 1891 ANDREWS, ELIZABETH F.
 AUA
ARUNDINARIA TECTA (WALT.) MUHL.
UNA00034101 Mobile _ Apr 1890 Mohr, Charles
s.n.		 UNA
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
UWAL0046270 Autauga 03 May 2018 Parker, Matthew R.
1664		 UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
TROY000026396 Bibb 10 May 2003 Spaulding, Daniel D.
11836		 TROY
Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhlenberg
UWAL0049129 Escambia 05 May 2012 Hansen, Curtis J.
5558		 UWAL
Arundinaria tecta (Walt.) Muhl.
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