赤竹 chi zhu

Pseudosasa longiligulata (McClure) Koidzumi.

Culms 1–2 m or more, 5–10 mm in diam.; internodes usually tinged with purple, 8–10 cm, hirtellous and retrorsely brown hirsute below nodes, otherwise glabrous or sometimes initially hirtellous and sparsely hirsute, gradually glabrescent; wall 1–2 mm thick; nodal ridge strongly elevated, more prominent than sheath scar; sheath scar fringed with same hairs as those at apex of culm. Culm sheaths dull green, commonly tinged red-purple when fresh, rusty-straw-colored when dry, shorter than internode, thinly papery, loosely enclosing culm, scabrous with minute brown strigae or bases of fallen hairs, base densely brown hirsute and hirtellous, outer margin brown ciliate; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule purple-brown, to 5 mm or more, abaxially puberulent, margin sinuous, ciliolate; blade reflexed or erect, purple or purple-green, triangular to lanceolate. Leaves 3–15 per ultimate branch; sheaths glabrous, or hirtellous and sparsely hirsute; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule strongly developed, to 1–1.5 cm, basally rather rigid, hirtellous or subglabrous, brittle, usually lacerate, apically membranous; blade adaxially deep green, lanceolate, 6–25 × 1.5–3.5 cm, glabrous or hirtellous along midrib toward base, abaxially glaucous, scabrous with sparse antrorsely appressed setae, adaxially faintly glossy, base cuneate, apex acuminate. Inflorescence unknown. New shoots Apr–May.

* Moist ravines, brook banks; 1000–1400 m. Guangdong, Hunan.

Sasa sulcata W. T. Lin (J. Bamboo Res. 12(2): 35. 1993) was described from an abnormal gathering and is most probably a synonym of this species.