Dendrocalamus membranaceus

Specimen: BS-0223 [-] (living plants), raised from seeds received from E. P., Germany, 21 May 2009; origin of seed is possibly China.

Characteristics: Same as in BS-0122.

Comments: All seedlings raised were distributed and are no longer in cultivation at Bambusetum Baan Sammi.

Specimen: BS-0273 [-] (living plants: seedlings), coll. from the wild in Samoeng District, Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand, in 2009, by the staff of the Royal Agricultural Station Pangda, under the superintendence of Mr. Nakhon, received 12 Sep. 2009.

Characteristics: Same as in BS-0122.

Comments: Flowering plants and seedlings in the wild of the Samoeng District were seen on the sides of Samoeng – Hang Dong Road on 12 Sep. 2009, but flowers were not documented.

Specimen: BS-0276 [BBG] (living plants), on the riverbank of คลองลึก (klong luek), wild, Hang Dong District, Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand, 300–400 m alt., coll. by C. S., #3000, 12 Sep. 2009.

Characteristics: Same as in BS-0122.

Specimen: BS-0699 [-] (living plants), raised from seeds, from a flowering cultivated plant, coll. by ธ. ล. at Chiang Dao, Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand, in Feb./Mar. 2012, received as "ไผ่ซางหม่น ฟ้าหม่น (phai sang mon fa mon)", seeds sown 21 Mar. 2012.

Characteristics: Same as in BS-0122.

Comments: The seeds received were few and did not look like seeds known as Phai Sang Mon, an unidentified species of Dendrocalamus similar to Dendrocalamus giganteus. Four-year-old seedlings match the characteristics of Dendrocalamus membranaceus, only the color of young shoots is somewhat different, a feature that might not be stable in future shoots.

Specimen: BS-0774 [-] (living plants), raised from seeds, the seeds collected in low quantity by M. S. in Pai District, Mae Hong Son Province, northern Thailand, as "Dendrocalamus membranaceus", in Apr. 2013, received 27 Apr. 2013.

Characteristics: Same as in BS-0122.

Seed weight: 0.6 g ≈ 35 dried spikelets (husk-wrapped seeds).

Seed germination: 8 seeds were laid on moistened tissue paper, on 28 Apr. 2013, with over 30 °C during the day, diffuse light, over 20 °C at night, atmospheric humidity >70%, primary roots emerged after 2 days, coleoptiles emerged after 5 days, all 8 seeds germinated.

Comments: Flowers known but not documented.

Specimen: BS-0603 [-] (living plant), as ไผ่นวลราชินี (phai nuan rachini), Thailand, cult., 1 Dec. 2010.

Characteristics: Foliage-leaf blades glabrous on both surfaces. — Otherwise as in BS-0122.

Comments: Flowers and seeds unknown.

Specimen: BS-0603-1 [-] (living plant), as ไผ่นวลราชินี (phai nuan rachini), Thailand, cult., 21 Mar. 2011.

Characteristics: Same as in BS-0122.

Comments: Flowers and seeds unknown.

Specimen: BS-0070 [-] (living plant), China, the plant received from FMXG, Yunnan, as "Schizostachyum pseudolima 思劳竹 (sī láo zhú)", 24 June 2012.

Characteristics: Same as in BS-0122.

Comments: Flowers and seeds unknown.

Specimen: BS-0071 [SSG] (living plant), China, the plant received from FMXG, Yunnan, as "Drepanostachyum scandens 爬竹 (pá zhú)", 24 June 2012.

Characteristics: Same as in BS-0122.

Comments: Flowers and seeds unknown.

Specimen: BS-0095 [-] (living plant), China, the plant received from FMXG, Yunnan, as "Melocanna humilis, 小梨竹 (xiǎo lí zhú)", 25 Jan. 2013.

Characteristics: Same as in BS-0122, except culm-internodes are moderately thick-walled on mid-culm and upper culm.

Comments: (1) Flowers and seeds unknown. — (2) This acquired bamboo is certainly not a species of Melocanna. It turned out to be Dendrocalamus membranaceus (May 2016).

Specimen: BS-0733 [-] (living plant), China, the plant received from FMXG, Yunnan, as "Neomicrocalamus prainii 新小竹 (xīn xiǎo zhú)", 23 Jan. 2012.

Characteristics: Culm-internodes glabrous, farinose. Culm-leaf sheath margins ciliolate or eciliate. Foliage-leaf blades glabrous above, pubescent beneath. — Otherwise as in BS-0122.

Comments:

(1) Flowers and seeds unknown.

(2) Soon after this plant was received, it became evident that this is not a species of Neomicrocalamus. Surprisingly, the plant turned out to be Dendrocalamus membranaceus though the indument is somewhat different.

Specimen: BS-0757 [-] (living plants), raised from seeds, the seeds from FMXG, Yunnan, China, as "Dendrocalamus strictus, 牡竹 (mǔ zhú)", collected Feb. and Apr./May 2012, received 13 June 2012.

Seed weight: 10 g ≈ 250–270 dried spikelets (husk-wrapped seeds).

Seed germination: Seeds were laid on moistened tissue paper, in June 2012, 29–31 °C day, with diffuse light, 24 °C at night, atmospheric humidity >70%, the first coleoptiles emerged after 10 days, germination rate moderate (40–60%).

Comments: One-year-old seedlings (BS-0757) clearly show prominent bristly auricles on culm sheaths and leaf sheaths, characteristics that are not present in Dendrocalamus strictus. As the seedlings grew up, it became clear that they were Dendrocalamus membranaceus.

Specimen: BS-0761 [-] (living plants), raised from seeds, the seeds from FMXG, Yunnan, China, as "Dendrocalamus membranaceus, 黄竹 (huang zhu)", collected 2010, not received, collected Feb. 2012, received 13 June 2012, collected Mar. 2013, not received.

Seed weight: 10 g ≈ 280–300 dried spikelets (husk-wrapped seeds).

Seed germination: Seeds (BS-0761) laid on moistened tissue paper, in June 2012, 29–31 °C day, diffuse light, 24 °C night, atmospheric humidity >70%, the first coleoptiles emerged after 5 days, germination rate rather high (60-90%).

Additional information: Bamboo seeds @YunnanBambooCo on Facebook, 20 Nov. 2019.

Specimen: BS-0639 [-] (living plants), raised from seeds, the seeds from FMXG, Yunnan, China, as "花秆黄竹 (huā gān huáng zhú), Dendrocalamus membranaceus f. striatus", collected 2010, and Apr. 2011, received 25 Apr. 2011.

Seed weight: 10 g ≈ 290–360 dried spikelets (husk-wrapped seeds).

Seed germination: Seeds (BS-0639) placed in moistened coir dust at 100%, in April 2011, atmospheric humidity >70%, coleoptiles emerged after 9 days, germination rate low (<40%).

Comments:

(1) Flowers known but not documented.

(2) This form, f. striatus, has culms with yellow stripes. It is not known if this feature will be retained in plants raised from seeds, and it is more likely that green culms will develop. So far, the seedlings at Bambusetum Baan Sammi have developed green culms, but the fresh culm-leaves have been reddish with occasional greenish-yellow streaks (29 June 2016).

Specimen: BS-0664 [-] (living plants), raised from seeds, the seeds from FMXG, Yunnan, China, as "Dendrocalamus membranaceus f. flavoviridis, 实心细叶龙竹 (shi xin ye long zhu)", collected Apr. 2011, received 30 May 2011.

Seed weight: 10 g ≈ 200–300 dried spikelets (husk-wrapped seeds).

Seed germination: Seed placed in moistened coir dust at 100%, in June 2011, atmospheric humidity >70%, coleoptiles emerged after 6 days, germination rate low (<40%).

Comments:

(1) Flowers known but not documented.

(2) No description of f. flavoviridis is available. The cultivar name suggests that the plant has yellowish striped leaves or culms, and the Chinese name suggests that the stem is solid (which is uncommon for Dendrocalamus membranaceus) and the leaves are small (which is a general character of this species). As was expected, the assumed characteristics of this variety (striped leaves or culms) had not been retained in plants raised from these seeds. Neither the culms nor leaves of the seedlings had developed stripes; although the fresh culm-leaves were reddish with occasional greenish-yellow streaks. However, the other characteristics were the same as in BS-0122.

Specimen: BS-0349 [E3] (living plants), วัดสกิทาคา (วัดผาลาด) Wat Sakithaka (Wat Pha Lat), lower elevation of Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand, wild or planted, coll. D. O., 6 Dec. 2009.

Characteristics: Culm-internodes green with yellow stripes of various widths. Culm-leaf (sheath and blade) with stripes in green, yellow and orange when young, fading with age. Culm-leaf ligule over 2 mm high, irregularly cleft. Foliage-leaves 7–9 per branchlet. Foliage-leaf sheath hispidulous or puberulous. Foliage-leaf auricles inconspicuous or lacking, oral setae few, lacking or early caducous. Foliage-leaf ligule short, 1 mm, entire. Foliage-leaf blade long and narrow, (8)11–17 × 1.0–1.9 cm, glabrous above, velvety or almost glabrous beneath, margins antrorsely scabrous, base rounded, apex attenuate (not acute), midrib not prominent; pseudopetiole ca. 2 mm long. — Otherwise as in BS-0122.

Uses: Plants for landscaping.

Comments:

(1) Flowers and seeds unknown.

(2) The overall appearance of this bamboo is similar to that of Dendrocalamus membranaceus, though the leaf characteristics are slightly different.

(3) The internodes of all newly developed culms after planting the offset in December 2009 up to and including 2019 remained uniformly green and without stripes. Only the culms developed in 2020 showed a few internodes with narrow yellowish stripes.

Thai name: ไผ่ซางสีชมพู (phai sang si chomphu).