Burmabambus P. C. Keng; Butania P. C. Keng; Monospatha W. T. Lin.

Shrubby spreading bamboos, sometimes subarborescent. Rhizomes facultatively long necked, pachymorph, neck to (0.3–)0.5 (–2) m, solid or hollow. Culms pluricaespitose or diffuse, erect or ascending; internodes terete, often scabrous, usually without prominent vertical ridges; wall thick; nodes (supra-nodal ridges) slightly prominent; buds lanceolate or rarely ovate, with reduced sheathing. Branches often 1 at lower nodes, initially 5–7(–12) at middle nodes, 9–11(–45) at upper nodes, on promontory, erect or deflexed, subequal or central branch strongly dominant at lower nodes; internodes ± terete. Culm sheaths tardily deciduous or persistent, usually initially setose, usually shorter than internodes; ligule usually truncate; blade usually reflexed, lanceolate or triangular. Leaves usually small to medium-sized; blade with prominent transverse veins. Inflorescence ebracteate, semelauctant, open, usually paniculate. Spikelets robust, long pedicellate, several to many flowered, apical floret sterile. Glumes 2; lemma mucronate or rarely obtuse, many veined; palea equal to or shorter than lemma, 2-keeled, obtuse; lodicules 3, transparent. Stamens 3; filaments free, long exserted; anthers yellow. Ovary appendage absent or inconspicuous; style 1, short or absent; stigmas usually 2, plumose.

Because of the poor knowledge of many taxa and their relatively recent description, often from a limited number of sterile gatherings, certain critical characteristics, notably rhizome neck lengths and culm and leaf proportions, are not accurately known, and many species boundaries remain untested.

In addition to the species treated below, Yushania pingshanensis T. P. Yi (J. Bamboo Res. 19(1): 21. 2000) was described from sterile material from Sichuan (Pingshan). In the protologue it was compared with Y. straminea. Yushania pubescens T. P. Yi (J. Bamboo Res. 19(1): 24. 2000) was described from sterile material from Sichuan (Pingshan). In the protologue it was compared with Y. pingshanensis.

About 80 species: Africa, E, S, and SE Asia; 58 species (57 endemic) in China.

(Authors: Li Dezhu (李德铢), Guo Zhenhua (郭振华); Chris Stapleton)