domestica – domesticated, cultivated

Native range: India, China, Japan

Leaves:

• alternate
• bi- or tri-pinnately compound
• sessile leaflets
• entire
• petioles swollen at base

Flowers:

• inflorescence – divided upright, up to 1 ft. long
• 3-merous, white
• huge, yellow anthers

Fruit:

• globose
• bright red or white berry
• 1/4” – 1/2”

Other characteristics:

• shrub to 5 ft.
• glabrous stems
• older stems have bark with long, linear furrows
• overlapping leaf sheaths give the main stem the appearance of bamboo (hence the common name)
• leaves exhibit more color when grown in full sun

Relevent info:

• many cultivars available (e.g., compact, red leaves, different leaf forms); over 60 available in Japan
• introduced to North America in the early 1800s
  • invasive in southeastern US forests, where it grows up to 8 ft.

Ecology & Adaptations:

• native from India to China to Japan
• found in streamsides in montane forests, roadsides, thickets
• below 1000 m.
• vegetative reproduciton through rhizomes
• pollination – flowers rich in nectar attract bees and other pollinators
• seed dispersal – berries are eaten by birds
• herbivore and microbial protection:
  • produces alkaloids and other compounds in leaves, flowers, and fruit
  • berries contain cyanide which impairs cellular respiration and causes hemorrhaging of heart, lungs, and other organs in birds, such as cedar waxwings
• shade tolerance – compound leaves spread out & maximize light capturing surfaces
• drought tolerance:
  • moderate once established
  • leathery leaves retain water