also: くちく
Japanese timber bamboo; madake
Phyllostachys bambusoides; a large bamboo species used for construction and crafts. Often contrasted with 真竹 (マダケ).
See also: 真竹
Only with reading にがたけ
Pleioblastus simonii; a smaller bamboo species. This sense is restricted to the reading にがたけ. Often contrasted with 女竹 (メダケ).
See also: メダケ
Madake is often used as a construction material.
When read as にがたけ, 苦竹 can also refer to a small bamboo similar to 女竹.
Standard kanji spelling for the bamboo species; reading にがたけ is the most common.
Alternate reading; less common than にがたけ.
The kanji 苦 (bitter) and 竹 (bamboo) may refer to the bitter taste of the shoots, but the exact derivation is uncertain.