团竹 tuan zhu

Rhizome neck 2.5–5 cm, 6–10 mm in diam. Culms 2–4 m, 0.5–1.2 cm in diam.; internodes terete, 18–24 cm, initially slightly white powdery, glabrous; wall 1.5–3.5 mm thick, pith granular; supra-nodal ridges weakly prominent; sheath scar prominent. Branches (1–)3(–5) per node, deflexed. Culm sheaths persistent, narrowly rounded or triangularly narrowly rounded, ca. 1/2 as long as internodes, leathery, glabrous, longitudinal ribs prominent, margins densely gray ciliolate; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule arcuate, ca. 1 mm, glabrous; blade not readily deciduous, erect, triangular or triangular-lanceolate, glabrous, not articulate with sheath. Leaves 2 or 3(or 4) per ultimate branch; sheath glabrous; auricles and oral setae absent or obscure; ligule inclined-truncate, ca. 0.7 mm, glabrous; blade irregular, narrowly ovate-lanceolate, 6.5–9 × 1.2–1.8 cm, secondary veins 4-paired, transverse veins obscure, base rounded, margins spinescent-serrulate. Inflorescence unknown. New shoots Jul.

* 2400–3300(–3700) m. N Sichuan.

This species appears similar to Fargesia frigidis from Yunnan, but it is not known whether it is also deciduous.

The shoots are an important source of food for the giant panda.