Another cane question

[FlintWalker]

I never payed any attention to this stuff until I got a couple cane arrows for Christmas. Since then, i've noticed it grows everywhere around here. All along the creeks and just about any swampy area has it. Now that I think about it, I know of acres and acres of it. What exactly is it?   I always called it "reed cane".  I hardly ever see it much over 10 feet tall or big as a quarter around, most is not that big. The nodes vary from 6" apart to 12" i've noticed the thicker stands have a greater distance between the nodes and tend to grow a little straighter.  Some of it has multiple limbs and some only have one or none per node.  Anybody know for sure what it is and will it make a decent arrow?  I live in south central Kentucky if that helps.  Thanks, Shannon

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[cowboy]

Shannon: Looks like you got some of that stuff I've been trying to chase down for months . I ain't got a clue what it is, but if it'll make an arra go for it. From the looks of it - it's either river cane or Jap arrow boo. Looks like some dandy stuff none the less - enjoy your arrows .

[FlintWalker]

I'm thinking it's river cane. Whatever it is, it's everywhere around here! I cut those pieces in about 5 minutes, 3 feet from the road. This weekend i'm gonna be selective and cut some more. I don't really know what size to cut since I never made any but i'm cutting some anyway! I've made cane fishing poles and tomato stakes from it before but can't remember if it shrinks very much when it dries or not.  I do know that once it dries, it's tough stuff.
   I cut up your steel today and will try to get it out to you by the end of the week. 

[cowboy]

Thanks Shannon - hopefully I can post some decent knifes soon .

[Hillbilly]

Looks like river cane (Arundinaria gigantea). Makes excellent arrows if you're picky when you cut it. Look for the ones in the thick stands that have long internodes and are about 3/8" diameter at the bottom without much taper. Avoid the flimsy first-year shoots that still have the papery sheaths intact around the nodes, and try to find ones that don't have a bunch of low branches. The branchier stuff tends to be a lot flatter or dipped in behind the nodes. You want it as round as you can get it. It heat-straightens easily and stays straight, and makes arrows that are almost unbreakable. It will shrink a bit as it dries, so it takes a little practice to figure out which size to cut for the right spine.