Fargesia

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Fargesia
Fargesia nitida in the Münster Botanical Gardens
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Poales Family: Poaceae Subfamily: Bambusoideae Supertribe: Bambusodae Tribe: Bambuseae Subtribe: Arundinariinae Genus: Fargesia Franch.
Species
Fargesia angustissima Fargesia crassinoda Fargesia denudata Fargesia dracocephala - dragon's head Fargesia frigida Fargesia fungosa Fargesia murieliae - umbrella bamboo Fargesia nitida - fountain bamboo Fargesia rufa etc.

Fargesia is a genus of medium to small mountain clumping bamboos, found in alpine conifer forests of East Asia. They are known in Chinese as jian zhu (Chinese: 箭竹; pinyin: jiǎnzhú), meaning "arrow bamboo". They can be found in China south to Vietnam and west to the eastern slopes of the Himalayas. There are currently about 90 recognised species, but morphological and genetic analysis has led to many being transferred to the genera Thamnocalamus, Yushania and Borinda, while others are still incertae sedis.^[1] The scientific name was given in honour of the French missionary and amateur botanist Père Paul Guillaume Farges.

Fargesias are some of the world's most hardy bamboos, and they do not spread vigorously. Common bamboos in the genus Fargesia are essential foods for the pandas, and the recent flowering of Fargesia nitida has had a devastating effect.

Because Fargesias are becoming more well-known for their thick clumping habits, they have become cheaper and available at many nurseries.

[edit] Taxonomy

This genus is sometimes considered a synonym of Thamnocalamus.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Media related to Fargesia from the Wikimedia Commons.