芽竹 ya zhu

Phyllostachys erecta T. H. Wen.

Culms to 10 m, ca. 6 cm in diam.; internodes initially purple-green, becoming gray-green, to 26 cm, white powdery, glabrous; wall 3.5–4 mm thick; nodal ridge elevated, more prominent than sheath scar. Culm sheaths green-purple, unmarked or occasionally with small, sparse spots, sparsely strigose; auricles not developed on lower sheaths, minute on upper ones; oral setae erect, green; ligule pale green, truncate or slightly arcuate, 2–3 mm, densely white-green ciliate; blade erect to reflexed, pale green to dark green or dark brown, with pale yellow margins, lanceolate to linear, crinkled in lower and middle culm sheaths. Leaves 2 or 3 per ultimate branch; auricles small; oral setae pale green-brown to pale yellow, 4–6 mm; blade 6.5–12 × 1.1–2 cm. Inflorescence not known. New shoots Apr.

* Cultivated. Anhui, Zhejiang.

The shoots are delicious, and the culms are used for tool handles and are split for weaving.