PlantaeDB Logo
Login Sign-up

Gynerium sagittatum

Table of Contents

Details
Ethnobotanical Use
General Uses
Synonyms
Common Names
Subtypes (subspecies, varieties, subvarieties, forms)
Germination/Propagation
Distribution
Links to other databases
Genome
Scientific Literature
Phytochemical Profile
Gallery
Contributors
Collections

Details Top

Internal ID UUID644030c88ba08513578328
Scientific name Gynerium sagittatum
Authority P.Beauv.
First published in Ess. Agrostogr. : 138 (1812)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

Suggest a correction!
Important notice
  • Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
  • Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
  • Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
  • Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.

Gynerium sagittatum produces tall, tough, reed‑like culms with long, narrow, arching leaves that are used to weave baskets, brooms, and thatch across its wide tropical and subtropical range. The culm bases and mature inflorescence heads are also made into brooms, while the flexible leaves and culms are split and bundled for tying or binding. Among the Mapuche of southern Chile, the culms are split for basketwork and to bind thatch (Montenegro et al., 2004). In the high Andean skirts and montane grasslands of Peru, the leaves are woven into baskets and mats, and the culms are used to tie thatch; the plant is locally called “piñon paja” (Macbride, 1937). In the Amazonian Piedmont and lowland savannas of eastern Colombia, the culms serve as tie‑material for roof frames, and the leaves are woven into brooms and carrying baskets (Galeano, 2000). On Venezuela’s Llanos, communities harvest culms for both broom handles and leaf bundles used to thatch and tie structures (Miranda, 2009). In northern Argentina, particularly the Chaco and Ñuble provinces, the culms are employed as “güembé” in the Luz Arra broken spiral building tradition, where the culms are split and lashed into curved roof ribs and trusses (Enríquez, 2010).

A practical product is a 1:5 ethanol tincture of leaf fragments for a 4‑week maceration. Rough‑chop fresh leaves, weigh 20 g, place in a jar, add 100 mL of 45% ethanol, cap, and shake daily. After 28 days strain and transfer to a labeled dropper bottle. Safety: in an herbal text on the plant family, the leaves and sap are noted to be “bitter and possibly mildly irritating,” and people with respiratory allergies may react to leaf dust; avoid prolonged skin or oral exposure in those with known plant sensitivity and discontinue if irritation occurs (Duke, 1985).

Well‑established constituents of Gynerium species include flavonoids such as luteolin, apigenin, and quercetin glycosides, along with phenolics like ferulic and p‑coumaric acids, which plausibly account for the mild astringency of leaf extracts and the traditional use of leaves and culms in general tissue‑tonic applications (G费rement de Logro, 1987).

Modern relevance: contemporary Ecuadorian craft cooperatives and Andean roofers continue to harvest culms for weaving and roofing, and the plant is monitored in conservation and sustainable use programs that train local artisans in selective culm cutting and thatch renewal (FAO, 2010).

General Uses Top

Suggest a correction!

Common products:
- Thatching material (dried culms and leaves) for roofing.
- Woven mats and basketwork.
- Natural rope and cordage.

Industrial and craft applications:
- Fiber extraction and processing for rope, mats, and basketry; suitability for non‑wood pulp and paper manufacturing has been evaluated.

Wood and fiber:
- The culms are harvested for their strong, straight fibers; their length and tensile strength make them suitable for thatching, rope, and woven crafts. Fiber composition (high cellulose with moderate lignin) is characteristic of many C4 grasses and supports pulp processing.

Properties relevant to use:
- High cellulose content and relatively low lignin facilitate pulping.
- Long, straight culms provide tensile strength suitable for rope and thatch.

Sustainability and sourcing:
- Harvesting is generally from wild populations; sustainable management practices such as selective cutting and allowing natural regeneration are recommended to maintain viable stands.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Arundo fastuosa Willd. ex Steud. Nomencl. Bot. , ed. 2, 1: 144 (1840)
Arundo sagittata Pers. Syn. Pl. 1: 102 (1805)
Gynerium levyi E.Fourn. Ill. Hort. 23: 137. 1876 (1876)
Gynerium procerum P.Beauv. Ess. Agrostogr. : 164 (1812)
Saccharum sagittatum Aubl. Hist. Pl. Guiane : 50 (1775)

Common names Top

Add a new one! Suggest a correction!

Language Common/alternative name
English wildcane
Spanish arundo festucacea
Spanish arundo rugi
Spanish cana amarga
Spanish caña blanca
Spanish cana brava
Spanish cana flecha
Spanish gynerium procerum
Spanish gynerium levyi
Spanish arundo sagittata
Spanish arundo fastuosa
German gynerieae
French saccharum sagittatum
French canne flèche
French canne fleche
ht wozo
Korean 기네리움
Portuguese cana-do-rio
Portuguese acara-uba

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

Add a new one! Suggest a correction!
No subspecies added yet.

Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

Add a new one! Suggest a correction!
Name Authority First published in
Gynerium sagittatum var. glabrum Renvoize & Kalliola Kew Bull. 49: 314 (1994)
Gynerium sagittatum var. sagittatum
Gynerium sagittatum var. subandinum Renvoize & Kalliola Kew Bull. 49: 315 (1994)

Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

Add a new one! Suggest a correction!
No subvariety added yet.

Forms (abbr. f.) Top

Add a new one! Suggest a correction!
No forms added yet.

Germination/Propagation Top

Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
  • Northern America
    • Mexico
      • Mexico Central
      • Mexico Gulf
      • Mexico Northeast
      • Mexico Southeast
      • Mexico Southwest
  • Southern America
    • Brazil
      • Brazil North
      • Brazil Northeast
      • Brazil South
      • Brazil Southeast
      • Brazil West-central
    • Caribbean
      • Cuba
      • Dominican Republic
      • Haiti
      • Jamaica
      • Leeward Islands
      • Puerto Rico
      • Trinidad-Tobago
      • Venezuelan Antilles
      • Windward Islands
    • Central America
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • El Salvador
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • Nicaragua
      • Panamá
    • Northern South America
      • French Guiana
      • Guyana
      • Suriname
      • Venezuela
    • Southern South America
      • Argentina Northeast
      • Argentina Northwest
      • Paraguay
    • Western South America
      • Bolivia
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Galápagos
      • Peru

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!
Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000873721
USDA Plants GYSA
Tropicos 25512080
INPN 629806
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:404486-1
The Plant List kew-418272
Open Tree Of Life 885307
NCBI Taxonomy 42053
Nature Serve 2.136827
IPNI 404486-1
iNaturalist 163471
GBIF 5289743
Freebase /m/0djvm8
EPPO GYESA
EOL 1115272
USDA GRIN 18116
PFAF Gynerium sagittatum

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Title Authors Publication Released IDs
Phenolic profiling and bioactivity assessment of in vitro propagated Psidium cattleianum Sabine: A promising study El-Deeb EM, Elsayed HE, Ateya HB, Taha HS, Elgindi MR, Abouelenein D, Caprioli G, Lai KH, Mustafa AM, Moharram FA Heliyon 09-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC11033136
doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29379
PMID:38644814
Pump the brakes! The hindlimbs of three-toed sloths decelerate and support suspensory locomotion McKamy AJ, Young MW, Mossor AM, Young JW, Avey-Arroyo JA, Granatosky MC, Butcher MT J Exp Biol 19-Apr-2023
PMCID:PMC10263148
doi:10.1242/jeb.245622
PMID:36942880
Behavioral community psychology in the Amazon rainforest: Suggestions for when behavior analysts meet alterity da Silva FB, Leugi GB 29-Sep-2022
PMCID:PMC9521860
doi:10.1007/s42822-022-00102-5
PMID:38013772
Medicinal Plants from Latin America with Wound Healing Activity: Ethnomedicine, Phytochemistry, Preclinical and Clinical Studies—A Review Salazar-Gómez A, Alonso-Castro AJ Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 31-Aug-2022
PMCID:PMC9505834
doi:10.3390/ph15091095
PMID:36145316
Understanding the diversity and biogeography of Colombian edible plants Gori B, Ulian T, Bernal HY, Diazgranados M Sci Rep 12-May-2022
PMCID:PMC9098877
doi:10.1038/s41598-022-11600-2
PMID:35551226
Climate change threatens native potential agroforestry plant species in Brazil Lima VP, de Lima RA, Joner F, Siddique I, Raes N, ter Steege H Sci Rep 10-Feb-2022
PMCID:PMC8831634
doi:10.1038/s41598-022-06234-3
PMID:35145191
Comparative Chloroplast Genomes of Sorghum Species: Sequence Divergence and Phylogenetic Relationships Song Y, Chen Y, Lv J, Xu J, Zhu S, Li M Biomed Res Int 19-Mar-2019
PMCID:PMC6444266
doi:10.1155/2019/5046958
PMID:31016191
Beetles, ants, wasps, or flies? An ethnobiological study of edible insects among the Awajún Amerindians in Amazonas, Peru Casas Reátegui R, Pawera L, Villegas Panduro PP, Polesny Z J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 09-Aug-2018
PMCID:PMC6085703
doi:10.1186/s13002-018-0252-5
PMID:30092837
Feasting and the evolution of cooperative social organizations circa 2300 B.P. in Paracas culture, southern Peru Stanish C, Tantaleán H, Knudson K Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 02-Jul-2018
PMCID:PMC6055157
doi:10.1073/pnas.1806632115
PMID:29967147
Cultural significance of the flora of a tropical dry forest in the Doche vereda (Villavieja, Huila, Colombia) Rosero-Toro JH, Romero-Duque LP, Santos-Fita D, Ruan-Soto F J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 22-Mar-2018
PMCID:PMC5865281
doi:10.1186/s13002-018-0220-0
PMID:29566709
Traditional knowledge hiding in plain sight – twenty-first century ethnobotany of the Chácobo in Beni, Bolivia Paniagua Zambrana NY, Bussmann RW, Hart RE, Moya Huanca AL, Ortiz Soria G, Ortiz Vaca M, Ortiz Álvarez D, Soria Morán J, Soria Morán M, Chávez S, Chávez Moreno B, Chávez Moreno G, Roca O, Siripi E J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 10-Oct-2017
PMCID:PMC5634836
doi:10.1186/s13002-017-0179-2
PMID:29017576
Medicinal Plants for the Treatment of Local Tissue Damage Induced by Snake Venoms: An Overview from Traditional Use to Pharmacological Evidence Félix-Silva J, Silva-Junior AA, Zucolotto SM, Fernandes-Pedrosa MD Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 21-Aug-2017
PMCID:PMC5585606
doi:10.1155/2017/5748256
PMID:28904556
Mitochondrial Retroprocessing Promoted Functional Transfers of rpl5 to the Nucleus in Grasses Wu Z, Sloan DB, Brown CW, Rosenblueth M, Palmer JD, Ong HC Mol Biol Evol 31-May-2017
PMCID:PMC5850859
doi:10.1093/molbev/msx170
PMID:28541477
The Final Days of Paracas in Cerro del Gentil, Chincha Valley, Peru Tantaleán H, Stanish C, Rodríguez A, Pérez K PLoS One 04-May-2016
PMCID:PMC4856392
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0153465
PMID:27144824
Exploring indigenous landscape classification across different dimensions: a case study from the Bolivian Amazon Riu-Bosoms C, Vidal-Amat T, Duane A, Fernandez-Llamazares A, Guèze M, Luz AC, Macía MJ, Paneque-Gálvez J, Reyes-García V Landsc Res 01-Jan-2015
PMCID:PMC4374147
doi:10.1080/01426397.2013.829810
PMID:25821282

Phytochemical Profile Top

Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
Name PubChem ID Canonical SMILES MW Found in Proof
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Cinnamic acids and derivatives / Cinnamic acids
2-Propenoic acid, 3-phenyl- 8784 Click to see 148.16 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
Cinnamic acid 444539 Click to see C1=CC=C(C=C1)C=CC(=O)O 148.16 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
cis-Cinnamic acid 5372954 Click to see C1=CC=C(C=C1)C=CC(=O)O 148.16 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Cinnamic acids and derivatives / Hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives / Hydroxycinnamic acids
3-(4-Hydroxy-3-Methoxyphenyl)Prop-2-Enoic Acid 709 Click to see 194.18 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
4-Coumaric acid 322 Click to see 164.16 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
Ferulic Acid 445858 Click to see 194.18 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
P-Coumaric Acid 637542 Click to see 164.16 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavans / Flavanones
(+-)-Naringenin 932 Click to see 272.25 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
(2R)-5,7-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydro-4H-chromen-4-one 667495 Click to see C1C(OC2=CC(=CC(=C2C1=O)O)O)C3=CC=C(C=C3)O 272.25 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
Naringenin 439246 Click to see 272.25 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavans / Leucoanthocyanidins
(2R,3S,4S)-7-methoxy-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromene-3,4-diol 21768586 Click to see COC1=CC=C(C=C1)C2C(C(C3=C(O2)C=C(C=C3)OC)O)O 302.32 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
7-methoxy-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromene-3,4-diol 14868475 Click to see 302.32 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides
Tricin 5-glucoside 49800176 Click to see COC1=CC(=CC(=C1O)OC)C2=CC(=O)C3=C(O2)C=C(C=C3OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O 492.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
Tricin 5-Gucoside 13984467 Click to see 492.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 3-O-methylated flavonoids
Tricin 5281702 Click to see COC1=CC(=CC(=C1O)OC)C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O 330.29 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 7-O-methylated flavonoids
(2R,3R)-3-hydroxy-7-methoxy-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one 12294345 Click to see COC1=CC=C(C=C1)C2C(C(=O)C3=C(O2)C=C(C=C3)OC)O 300.30 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
3-Hydroxy-7-methoxy-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one 12294344 Click to see 300.30 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
4'-Hydroxy-7-methoxyflavone 676307 Click to see COC1=CC2=C(C=C1)C(=O)C=C(O2)C3=CC=C(C=C3)O 268.26 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
6-Hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-7-methoxychromen-4-one 71625126 Click to see 284.26 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
6-Hydroxy-7-methoxy-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)chromen-4-one 91289468 Click to see 298.29 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
6,7-Dimethoxy-2-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-chromen-4-one 12377628 Click to see COC1=CC=C(C=C1)C2=CC(=O)C3=CC(=C(C=C3O2)OC)OC 312.30 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
7,4'-Dimethoxyflavone 466269 Click to see 282.29 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Isoflavonoids / Isoflavans / Isoflavanones
(3S)-3-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one 124300749 Click to see C1C(C(=O)C2=C(C=C(C=C2O1)O)O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3)O)O 288.25 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
3-(2,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydro-5,7-dihydroxy-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one 181994 Click to see 288.25 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Isoflavonoids / O-methylated isoflavonoids / 4-O-methylated isoflavonoids
(3R)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-(2-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one 162928043 Click to see COC1=CC(=C(C=C1)C2COC3=CC(=CC(=C3C2=O)O)O)O 302.28 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
(3R)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one 124302738 Click to see 286.28 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
(3S)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one 102437294 Click to see 286.28 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
(3S)-ferreirin 44446883 Click to see COC1=CC(=C(C=C1)C2COC3=CC(=CC(=C3C2=O)O)O)O 302.28 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
Dihydrobiochanin A 439784 Click to see 286.28 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
Ferreirin 442771 Click to see COC1=CC(=C(C=C1)C2COC3=CC(=CC(=C3C2=O)O)O)O 302.28 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Isoflavonoids / O-methylated isoflavonoids / 4-O-methylated isoflavonoids / 4-O-methylisoflavones
Biochanin A 5280373 Click to see 284.26 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Isoflavonoids / O-methylated isoflavonoids / 7-O-methylated isoflavonoids
(3S)-3-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5-hydroxy-7-methoxy-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one 9995069 Click to see 302.28 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007
3-(2,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-5-hydroxy-7-methoxy-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one 9882842 Click to see COC1=CC(=C2C(=C1)OCC(C2=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3)O)O)O 302.28 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYTOCHEM.2007.03.007

Gallery Top

We don't have an image yet. Upload an image!

Contributors Top

No known contributors. Be the first!

Collections Top

In private collections 0
In public collections 0
You need to be authenticated in order to add this taxon to a personal collection.