粉绿竹 fen lü zhu

Bambusa viridiglaucescens Carrière, Rev. Hort. 146. 1861 ["viridi-glaucescens"]: 146. 1861; Phyllostachys altiligulata G. G. Tang & Y. L. Xu; P. nigrivagina T. H. Wen.

Culms ca. 8 m, 4–5 cm in diam.; internodes 21–25 cm, initially white powdery; wall 4.5–7 mm thick; nodes initially purple; nodes with ridge slightly more prominent than sheath scar. Culm sheaths pale purple-brown, sometimes tinged with yellow-green, speckled brown, strigose, apex usually asymmetrical; auricles purple-brown to pale green, narrowly falcate; oral setae to 2 cm; ligule tall but narrow, ± asymmetrical with one side more decurrent than other, apex strongly convex, margin ciliate; blade reflexed, yellow-green with orange margins, linear, distally crinkled. Leaves 1–3 per ultimate branch; auricles inconspicuous; oral setae deciduous; ligule strongly exserted, margin laciniate; blade 9.5–13.5 × 1.2–1.8 cm. Flowering branchlets spicate, 2.5–8.5 cm, scaly bracts 3–5, gradually larger; spathes 4–7, pubescent; auricles small or absent; oral setae few or absent; blade orbicular-ovate to subulate. Pseudospikelets 1 or 2 per spathe, but absent in lower 3–5 spathes. Spikelets with 1 or 2 florets. Rachilla pubescent, with an awnlike extension. Glumes absent or 1; lemma ca. 2.5 cm, distally pubescent, apex acuminate, awnlike; palea slightly shorter than lemma, distally pubescent; lodicules narrowly elliptical, ca. 4 mm, margins ciliate. Anthers ca. 1.2 cm. Stigmas 3. New shoots late Apr, fl. May. 2n = 48*.

* Planted. Fujian, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Zhejiang.

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