Gynerium sagittatum, known locally by various common name

Common name

A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...

s, is a tall grass

Grass

Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...

 that grows up to five meters long. It is a very vigorous species that grows into a considerably dense mass of vegetation. It is harvested as a semi-crop in some localities to be distributed commercially, mainly in Latin America

Latin America

Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages  – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...

. It belongs to the subfamily Arundinoideae

Arundinoideae

The Arundinoideae is a subfamily of the true grass family Poaceae, including giant reed and common reed.-Genera:Tribe AmphipogoneaeAmphipogonDiplopogonTribe AristideaeAristidaSartidiaStipagrostiTribe ArundineaeArundo...

.

Common names

It is known as "Cana-do-rio" in Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 and "caña brava" in Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

 and called "bitter cane" in Venezuela

Venezuela

Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

. The stems range between three and ten meters in height.

• Gynerium sagittatum, Ucayali river basin, Peru (french)

Description

The stems are straight and erect, the inferior part is covered with “vainas” from the fallen leaves, while in the superior part the leaves are arranged in fan shaped groups.

There are many varieties in the plant's stems. The bark zone, which is the main factor in the unusual height, functions as a water distribution system, transporting water from the underground roots to the superior part of the plant including the leaves. This vital function occurs throughout each season of the year.

Ecology

Being one of the first plants to colonise open areas, 'Gynerium sagittatum' is an important pioneer species that reaches new sites via wind-distributed seeds. Once estalished, it spreads vegetatively.

Uses

• In Colombia
  Colombia
  Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
  
   it is used to create different accessories including the traditional sombrero vueltiao
  Sombrero Vueltiao
  The sombrero vueltiao or sombrero vueltiado is a traditional hat from Colombia and one of its symbols. It is made out of Gynerium sagittatum known locally as caña flecha, a type of cane that grows in the region...
  
  , symbol of Colombia.