Sasa veitchii

Sasa veitchii (Japanese: クマザサ, Hepburn: kumazasa) is a species of flowering plant in the genus Sasa, in the Poaceae family.^[3] It is a bamboo native to Japan and Sakhalin.^[2]

Sasa veitchii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Genus:	Sasa
Species:	S. veitchii
Binomial name
Sasa veitchii (Carrière) Rehder (1919)[1]
Synonyms[2]
Arundinaria albomarginata (Franch. & Sav.) Makino (1900), nom. superfl. Arundinaria veitchii (Carrière) N.E.Br. (1889) Bambusa senanensis var. albomarginata Franch. & Sav. (1877) Bambusa veitchii Carrière (1888) Sasa albomarginata (Franch. & Sav.) Makino & Shibata (1901), nom. superfl.

Description

Sasa veitchii is a large species of bamboo grass which may reach a height of 1-2m, with leaves about 20 cm in length and 4–5 cm in width. Young leaves are initially uniform green in color but develop light-colored edges as they mature overwinter.^[4]

In its native Japan, it is found as a dense covering on some forest floors. The term kumazasa is not precise and can refer to a variety of bamboo grass species other than S.veitchii, including S. kurilensis, S. senanensis, S. palmata, and others.

Uses

Sushi wrapped in kumazasa leaves

This species is often planted in gardens as ornamental ground cover. The leaves can be used to make herbal tea, and are traditionally ground up and taken as a folk remedy for diabetes and hypertension, although there is no scientific consensus on its efficacy as a medicine.^[5] In Ishikawa, Nagano, and Niigata prefectures, the leaves are used as wrapping for regional varieties of sushi and rice dumplings. It also has some uses as a textile, for example in the manufacture of absorbent floor mats.^[6]