Japanese timber bamboo; madake
Phyllostachys bambusoides; a large bamboo species used for construction and crafts. Often called madake in English.
See also: 真竹
Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis; a variety of black bamboo with green culms. Less common than madake.
See also: ハチク
Madake is one of the largest bamboos in Japan.
This bamboo craft is made from madake.
Henon bamboo is a type of madake whose culms turn black.
Katakana spelling is common for this bamboo species name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling; rarely used. The kanji 幹 (trunk) and 竹 (bamboo) suggest a large bamboo.
Alternate kanji spelling; even rarer. 乾 means 'dry', possibly referring to dried bamboo.
The origin is uncertain. The kanji 幹竹 (trunk bamboo) and 乾竹 (dry bamboo) are likely descriptive, but the word may predate these spellings.