This southeastern species formerly grew in large "canebrakes" on submesic bottomlands across most of the state, and, especially in the Bluegrass Region, on some fertile uplands. Further verification is needed from the thinly scattered remnants in some northern counties. The genus Arundinaria has declined greatly across its range in North America, and this loss has probably been linked with much ecological disruption. Diverse vertebrates (including passenger pigeons) were fornerly associated (Platt et al. 2013); rare lepidoptera in Ky. that feed on Arundinaria include Crochidophora pustuliferalis, Papaipema spp. and Lethe creola . Clearance for farmland, followed by browsing by livestock, has greatly reduced gigantea in Ky. (Gm, Anderson 1924, Beckner 1928, Campbell 1989). Flowering rarely occurs, but may be more frequent after dry years and near maxima of the 11 year sun-spot cycle (Campbell 1985, and continuing analysis). The two closely related congeners of gigangtea are most easily distinguished by their more pronounced primary branches, with 2-5 compressed internodes in the basal cm (versus 0-1), and usually no groove along culms (FNA 24). A. appalachiana Triplett, Weakley & L.G. Clark has been recently described from the southern Appalachians (Tenn., N.C., Ala., Ga., S.C.), where it occurs in thin woods on seasonally dry acid soils (Triplett et al. 2006). In Tenn., appalachiana is known from the southern Cumberland Plateau just south of Ky. and Va. (Ch+, K). A. tecta (Walt.) Muhl. has been erroneously reported from Ky. (M), but it is largely restricted to the southeastern Coastal Plain from Md. to Miss. and perhaps Tex. (K). Arundinaria may be reasonably restricted to these three North American species (Triplett & Clark 2010), but several East Asian species appear closely allied, especially those placed in Bashania, Pleioblastus or Pseudosasa; see Flora of China Vol. 22 for details.