簕竹 sha le zhu

Bambusa diffusa Blanco, Fl. Filip. 269. 1837; Dinochloa diffusa (Blanco) Merrill.

Culms flexuose, slender, to 40 m long, 0.5–1.5 cm in diam., apically clambering; internodes 15–60 cm, with ring of white powder below node; wall 2–4 mm thick. Culm sheaths deciduous, leathery, rigid, with stiff, brown hairs, base without a projection, margins ciliate, apex concave; auricles inconspicuous; oral setae well developed, curved; ligule short or inconspicuous; blade reflexed, linear-lanceolate, apex involute to aciculate. Leaves 5–12 per ultimate branch; sheaths 5–12 cm, glabrous, outer margin ciliate; auricles inconspicuous; oral setae well developed, initially white, becoming brown; ligule suborbicular or subtruncate, dentate; petiole short; blade oblong-lanceolate, 10–25 × 1.5–2.5 cm, abaxially glabrous, margin densely scabrous to setaceous, base rounded, apex acute. Pseudospikelets 1.8–2.8 cm; bracts 2, oblong-lanceolate, ca. 1 cm, glabrous, many veined; rachilla disarticulating. Glumes absent; lemma ovate-oblong, ca. 14 × 6 mm, glabrous, many veined. Palea ca. 19 × 6 mm, many veined, apex shortly bifid, not keeled; lodicules 2, elliptic-lanceolate, membranous. Filaments long; anthers ca. 9 mm. Ovary glabrous; stigmas 3, short, plumose. Caryopsis obovate, 2–4 mm in diam., glabrous, apex with persistent style base. New shoots May–Aug.

Primary forests; 200–1200 m. E and S Taiwan [Philippines].

The identification of Chinese material as Schizostachyum diffusum requires further study.

This species is grown as an ornamental.