Poaceae

Switchcane

Arundinaria tecta (Walter) Muhl.

Family: Poaceae
Genus: Arundinaria

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Common names

By language (2)

Chinese: 顶盖北美箭竹
English: Switchcane

Synonyms

Arundinaria gigantea subsp. tecta (Walter) McClure
Arundinaria gigantea var. tecta (Walter) Scribn.
Arundinaria macrosperma var. suffruticosa Munro
Arundinaria macrosperma var. tecta (Walter) Alph.Wood
Arundinaria tecta var. colorata Rupr.
Arundinaria tecta var. distachya Rupr.
Arundinaria tecta var. pumila (Nutt. ex Rupr.) Rupr.
Arundo tecta Walter
Bambusa pumila Mitford
Festuca grandiflora Lam.
Ludolfia tecta (Walter) A.Dietr.
Miegia pumila Nutt. ex Rupr.

Flowers

Flower colour: green (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Graminoid, Shrub, Subshrub
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Lower 48 states: introduced, Lower 48 states: native

Photos

Photo: Craig Martin, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Adams Sunny, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Sue Ann, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Austin Pursley, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Austin Pursley, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Becky, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Will McFarland, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Will McFarland, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Abby Darrah, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Abby Darrah, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: mfeaver, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Austin Pursley, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Arundinaria

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.