饱竹子 bao zhu zi

Bashania qingchengshanensis P. C. Keng & T. P. Yi, J. Nanjing Univ., Nat. Sci. Ed. 1982(3): 728. 1982.

Culms 2–4 m, 0.3–0.7(–1) cm in diam.; internodes deep green, 40–45(–56) cm, glabrous, distally waxy-powdery, solid or subsolid; nodes weakly prominent, glabrous; intranode 3–5 mm; sheath scar prominent, densely setose. Culm sheaths dark green or purple-green, setose, margins distally ciliolate; ligule purple, truncate or arcuate, less than 1 mm; auricles absent; oral setae 3–5, 3–4 mm; blade persistent, dark green, triangular-lanceolate, basally setose, striate, margins serrulate. Leaves 1–3 per ultimate branch; sheath green, sometimes purple, glabrous; auricles deciduous, green, elliptic, margin ciliate; ligule light green, truncate, ca. 1 mm, glabrous; petiole 3–4 mm, glabrous; blade lanceolate, 22–32 × 2.4–3.8 cm, glabrous, secondary veins 6–8-paired, base cuneate, margin serrulate, apex acuminate. Inflorescence paniculate, 6–10 cm. Spikelets 5–15; pedicel 2–12 mm, densely setose; rachilla internodes 3–5 mm, densely setose; florets 6–14. Glumes setose, long mucronate; lemma ovate, setose, margins ciliolate, long mucronate; palea 2-cleft, 2-keeled, with 2 or 3 veins between keels, 2 veins beside keels, margin ciliolate; lodicules purple-red, rhombic-ovate, membranous, transparent, margins densely ciliolate. Anthers purple, glabrous. Ovary ellipsoid, glabrous; style 1; stigmas 2, white, plumose. Caryopsis slightly curved, brown, ellipsoid, 7–8 × 2–2.5 mm, glabrous, apex acute, suture elongated. New shoots Apr, fl. Apr, fr. May.

* Hardwood forests; 800–1200 m. Sichuan (Guanxian, Qonglai).

Bashania aristata Y. Ren et al. (Novon 13: 473. 2003) and B. baoxingensis T. P. Yi (J. Bamboo Res. 19(1): 9. 2000) are possibly synonyms of this species.

The culms are used for pen and brush holders, abacus frames, and chopsticks. This species is also cultivated as an ornamental.