Phyllostachys rubromarginata

Phyllostachys rubromarginata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Phyllostachys
Species: P. rubromarginata
Binomial name
Phyllostachys rubromarginata

Phyllostachys rubromarginata, the red margin bamboo, is a species of Phyllostachys Bamboo, native to Central China, specifically Guangxi and Guizhou.

Name

Its common name comes from the colorization of the margins of the newly sprouted culm sheaths, exhibiting a reddish stripe. It was classified by the Smithsonian's Floyd McClure in 1940.[1] In China, it is named Hongbian zhu or Nuer zhu (Maiden's Bamboo).[2]

Description

Red Margin Bamboo is a cold hardy temperate mountain bamboo which grows and spreads quickly, creating a tall screen. Reproducing mostly by running, the rubromarginata also produces hermaphroditic flowers and seeds once every several years.

P. rubromarginata culms may reach as high as 4 to 9 meters (13'1" to 29'6"), while in China it is reported as high as 16 meters (52'6"). Mature culms grow from 2.5 cm to 6 cm (0.98 to 2.36") in diameter with dark green internodes 22–31 cm (8.66-12.20") apart.[3] It is cold tolerant to between -16° and -24°C (3.2° and -11.2°F).[4]

Usage and distribution

Its high quality timber is used in basket making, and has become a popular ornamental plant in North America. The shoots are edible.[5] It grows wild in Guangxi and Guizhou as scrub and along banks of gullies. It is commonly cultivated in Henan China.

See also

References

Wikispecies has information related to: Phyllostachys rubromarginata
  1. ↑ GRIN Taxonomy for Plants: Phyllostachys rubromarginata.
  2. ↑ Phyllostachys rubromarginata, Das Bambus-Lexikon, at Bambus-Informationszentrum.
  3. ↑ South China Botanical Garden Checklist, (eFlora), Phyllostachys rubromarginata McClure: 红竹 .
  4. ↑ Lewis Bamboo: Phyllostachys rubromarginata (Red Margin Bamboo). Bambus-Lexikon, ibid.
  5. ↑ Plants for a Future Database.