''Phyllostachys'' (
is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of Asian
bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...
in the
grass family. Many of the species are found in central and southern
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, with a few species in northern
Indochina
Mainland Southeast Asia (historically known as Indochina and the Indochinese Peninsula) is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to th ...
and in the
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...
. Some of the species have become naturalized in parts of Asia, South America, Australia, and southern Europe.
[Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 163 刚竹属 gang zhu shu ''Phyllostachys'' Siebold & Zuccarini, Abh. Math.-Phys. Cl. Königl. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. 3: 745. 1843. ]
/ref>
The stem or culm has a prominent groove, called a sulcus, that runs along the length of each segment (or internode). Because of this, it is one of the most easily identifiable genera of bamboo. Most of the species spread aggressively by underground rhizomes.[ Being pioneer plants, phyllostachys species will not spread quickly or achieve mature height without access to direct sunlight throughout most of the day.
Some species of ''Phyllostachys'' grow to 100 ft (30 m) tall in optimum conditions. Some of the larger species, sometimes known as "timber bamboo", are used as construction timber and for making ]furniture
Furniture refers to objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., Stool (seat), stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (table (furniture), tables), storing items, working, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Furnitur ...
.[ Several species are cultivated as ornamental plants, though they can become invasive and troublesome in gardens, unless artificially restricted or grown in containers.]
The name ''Phyllostachys'' means "leaf spike" and refers to the inflorescence
In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...
s.
Taxonomy
;Species
;Formerly included[
species now considered better suited to other genera: '' Bambusa Chimonobambusa Pseudosasa Semiarundinaria Shibataea''
]
Ecology
Fungi and pathogens growing specifically on ''Phyllostachys'' have ''phyllostachydis'' or ''phyllostachydicola'' species epithets.
Regulations
Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
property owners are liable for the cost of removing ''Phyllostachys'' bamboo that grows onto neighboring property, any resulting damages, and fines of $100 per day for growing this bamboo within 40 ft of any adjoining property or public way.
New York has regulations listing'' P. aurea'' and '' P. aureosulcata'' as prohibited invasive species.
References
* Zheng-ping Wang & Chris Stapleto
Flora of China, Volume 22: Poaceae., Science Press u. a., Beijing u. a. 20
External links
*
* http://delta-intkey.com/grass/www/phyllost.htm
*
{{Authority control
Bambusoideae genera
Grasses of Asia
Garden plants of Asia
Taxa named by Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini
Taxa named by Philipp Franz von Siebold