Page 11 - САЗА КУРИЛЬСКАЯ

Sasa or Kuril Bamboo is a non-decidious plant, which is
also usually considered one of the most frigostable types
of plants. Its stems reach height from 30 to 250 cm and
width of 7 mm. Adult leaves are lance-shaped to egg-
shaped, 13 cm long and 2,5-5 cm wide, glossy green but
less vibrant underneath, with a protuberant middle streak.
Roots are leptomorphic (from a Greek word Λεπτός
meaning "thin"). They are long, thin, monopodial, and
have hollow internodes with length much greater than
width.
Apart from Sakhalin and Kuril Islands the species
habitat includes Japanese Islands (Hokkaido,
Honshu) and Korean peninsula. It grows on the
mountain slopes and hills, completely covering them. Ironicly enough, the bamboo-covered ridge which crosses
Hill slopes covered in bamboo is a pretty usual picture the island was named after a different plant instead of
bamboo.

for the Southern part of Sakhalin Island, including eastern Carpet-like dense bamboo thicket looks beautiful, but is a
and western shores.
great threat for the hikers. Razor-sharp leaves can easily

cut out parts of your clothing, and resilent stems do not let
you go through the thicket effortlesly. It is also impossible
to track down your own path, as the stems close
completely after you have passed through them. Sasa will
also cover you in dust in summer. Even the bears are
believed to not dare to cross the bamboo fields.
Wild bamboo holds the recors for resilience. It
manages to stay well duting heat waves in
summer and freezing cold winters. It is also not
afraid of scarce soils and continuous deforestation. It can

withstand the strongest winds and is slowly taking over

the lands. Its roots stay unharmed even in forest fires.

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