黄槽竹 huang cao zhu

Culms to 9 m, to 4 cm in diam., usually geniculate at basal 2 or 3 nodes of slender culms; internodes to 40 cm, initially white powdery, pubescent or scabridulous with tubercles left by fallen hairs; nodal ridge slightly more prominent than sheath scar. Culm sheaths purple-green, usually yellow striped, often with sparse, small, brown spots, thinly white powdery, glabrous; auricles purple-cream or purple-brown, conspicuously connected with base of blade; oral setae developed; ligule purple, arcuate or truncate, broad, ciliate; blade erect, horizontal or reflexed in lower culm, purple or tinged with same colors as those of sheath, triangular or triangular-lanceolate, flat or wavy. Leaves 2 or 3 per ultimate branch; auricles minute or absent; oral setae short; ligule exserted; blade ca. 12 × 1.4 cm. Flowering branchlets spicate, ca. 8.5 cm, scaly bracts ca. 4, gradually larger; spathes 4 or 5, glabrous or sparsely puberulous; auricles and oral setae absent, blade subulate, small. Pseudospikelets 5–7 per spathe, usually absent from lowest one. Spikelets with 1 or 2 florets. Glumes 1 or 2, keeled; rachilla puberulous; lemma 1.5–1.9 cm, distally pubescent; palea slightly shorter than lemma, distally pubescent; lodicules ca. 3.5 mm. Stigmas 3. New shoots Apr–May.

* Cultivated. Beijing, Henan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang.

This very hardy species is mainly planted as an ornamental.