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Need Help with ID of this Big Bamboo
Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 1:39 am
by NARJP
I got a start of this from a local guy here in north cnetral AR. I would like to know what kind it is. Thanks. I have larger photos than this if needed. It was about 30 feet tall at least. He said his main stand that he started this stand from was taller but had to be cut down by the electric company because it was getting into electric lines. You cannot tell it from the photo but some of it was as bigger around than 1 1/2" plastic schedule 40 outdoor electric conduit and probably very close to the 2" size conduit. Thanks, Doug in north central Arkansas. I like this stuff better than the small native stuff I got a few months ago.

Re: Need Help with ID of this Big Bamboo
Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 9:56 pm
by Rex
Hi narjp. Definitely need closer shots of the culms, leaves, and perhaps even the shoots!
Re: Need Help with ID of this Big Bamboo
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:15 am
by NARJP
Re: Need Help with ID of this Big Bamboo
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:16 am
by ghmerrill
Most likely, it is Golden Groove bamboo- P. aureosulcata. note the yellowish grove.
Re: Need Help with ID of this Big Bamboo
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:02 pm
by foxd
Yep, definitely Yellow Groove. Phyllostachys aureosulcata
Re: Need Help with ID of this Big Bamboo
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:30 pm
by Rex
Right on. Aureosulcata has green culms and yellow grooves! Cool huh

?
Re: Need Help with ID of this Big Bamboo
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:39 pm
by Joseph Clemens
Isn't there at least one other species of
Phyllostachys that are green with a yellow sulcus? Such a one as
Phyllostachys vivax 'Huangwenzhu', comes to mind. What determines that this is
Phyllostachys aereosulcata and not
Phyllostachys vivax 'Huangwenzhu'.
Re: Need Help with ID of this Big Bamboo
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:09 pm
by David
Hello Joseph,
I think what would separate the two is the rarity of 'Huangwenzhu'. The grove under question is mature so that would mean that it is likely 10+ years old. To the best of my knowledge 'Haungwenzhu' was not available in the US in the 90's. The shape/character of the plant which is upright with fairly short branches would tend to suggest aureosulcata. Vivax tends to bend over at the very top when it is mature.
Regards,
David
Re: Need Help with ID of this Big Bamboo
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 6:11 pm
by Joseph Clemens
Howdy David,
Your logic seems fairly solid; as I've a grove of Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis' (started with a one gallon division, five years ago) that has a section of rhizome that reverted to Phyllostachys vivax 'Huangwenzhu'. [I am working at isolating this to a grove of its own.] The culms are approaching one inch in diameter and about twelve to fifteen feet high. All the culms in this 12' x 12' raised bed do tend to bend over severely, especially in their top third or quarter.
Another question or two: In the photo shown in the first post there appears to be a group of culms in the front, left of the photo where they appear to be all yellow, or nearly so. Are these actually as they appear in the photo or is this just a trick of the light? Also, are there any examples of the occasional zig-zag culms, diagnostic for Phyllostachys aureosulcata?
Re: Need Help with ID of this Big Bamboo
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 3:12 am
by NARJP
Here is closer shot of the culms. Yes I believe judging from the photo some of them had to be yellow but I wasn't paying that much attention to those sort of things at the time as I was just focusing on getting it. There were a few crooks, perhaps 1 in every dozen culms. I remember that much. You have to look close in the photo to find many at all.
It sounds very much like the description of Phyllostachys aureosulcata that I found on a certain web site.
http://www.bamboogarden.com/Phyllostach ... lcata.html
Thanks for all the help.
Re: Need Help with ID of this Big Bamboo
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 4:09 pm
by NARJP
Here it is in the heat of late summer and it is not suppsoed to be a good time to transplant Bamboo, but I transplanted about 8 small locations of this Yellow Groove around my 1 acre. In some places I put Culms with rootballs and other places I put small rootbals with culms cut to just a few inches tall and in some cases I planted rhizomes with no culms. The locations with rhizome only or rhizome with tiny short culms are already shooting to about 3 or 4 inches. I just put it in the ground on Aug 1st. I can see where this yellow Groove is going to be fast growing and hardy.
Re: Need Help with ID of this Big Bamboo
Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 9:07 am
by BooNanners
I can see where this yellow Groove is going to be fast growing and hardy.
I grow Spectabilis and Aureocaulis, the green stripe and golden form of yellow groove and they have been a source of much satisfaction since acquiring in '07. Two years/3 growing seasons later and each root bound 1 gallon planting has had to be restrained to a 8'x10' area by taking transplants that have run out of bounds. It forms an attractive dense screen quickly and suffered the least leaf burn of the 10 varieties I grow, this past winter. I think you'll be well pleased with your yellow groove. Good luck.