滑竹 hua zhu

Rhizome neck 13–40 cm. Culms 1–2 m, 3–8 mm in diam.; internodes initially densely purple spotted, terete, 13–37 cm, smooth, thinly white powdery and yellow-brown setulose below nodes, solid; supra-nodal ridges weakly prominent or prominent; sheath scar prominent, initially densely yellow-brown retrorse-setose. Branches 1–5 per node, central branch dominant. Culm sheaths persistent, narrowly triangularly rounded, ca. 2/3 as long as internodes, cartilaginous, yellow-brown setose, margins yellow-brown setose; auricles purple, falcate; oral setae many, radiating, yellow-brown, 2–4 mm; ligule truncate or arcuate, ca. 1 mm, glabrous, margins irregularly fissured; blade reflexed, linear-lanceolate, abaxially sparsely white-gray setose. Leaves 4–6 per ultimate branch; sheath densely brown setose, margins densely yellow ciliate; auricles purple, falcate or elliptic; oral setae several, erect or radiating, yellow-brown, 2–5 mm; ligule truncate, margins initially densely yellow ciliate; blade lanceolate, 9–21 × 1.2–2.5 cm, abaxially gray pubescent, secondary veins 4–6-paired, transverse veins obscure, base broadly cuneate, margins scabrous. Inflorescence unknown. New shoots Aug.

* 1900–2000 m. C and W Yunnan.

The culms are used for making chopsticks.