A tall, hard-skinned grass with nodes, bamboo comes in numerous species. Propagating through a rhizome system, bamboo shoots appear in early spring at full diameter and grow to full height within a season. Sturdy, flexible, hollow, and easy to split in straight strips, bamboo has multiple purposes ranging from use as a material for building and crafts, like bows, arrows, brushes, baskets, kitchen utensils, fans, and umbrellas to consumption as a food source. One type of bamboo, madake, has a long space between its nodes, is flexible, and is easy to cut; these characteristics make it a common choice for musical instruments like the shakuhachi. The inherently decorative natural spots on hanchiku bamboo and its narrower diameter recommend it for elegant brushes. Similar spots are artificially applied in a technique known as gehanchiku, or “imitation spotted bamboo.”