Dendrocalamus sp. (TH: Phitsanulok) — oblique nodes

Specimens: BS-0605 [BBG], BS-0605-1 [E4] (living plants), received from cultivated stock as "ไผ่เกล็ดเต่า" (phai klet tao) [translates as Turtle Shell Bamboo] and as "ไผ่เกล็ดปลา" (phai klet pla) [translates as Fish Scale Bamboo], from a nursery in Prachin Buri, 1 Dec. 2010 and 21 Mar. 2011; said to originate from Phitsanulok "wild in the jungle".

Characteristics: Habit unicaespitose, dense clump. Rhizome pachymorph, short. Culms straight, erect, bending outwards above; ultimate length unknown but certainly over 15 m tall, diameter over 10 cm (immature plant with culms about 10 m long by 3 cm in diameter, June 2021). Young shoots conical, turquoise green, sprinkled sparsely and uniformly with short dark green hairs; culm-leaf blades spreading, dark colored. Culm-internodes terete, 20–33 cm long, covered with light green to whitish short soft hairs, and white mealy wax, when young, dull green when mature, thick-walled, some internodes of the basal culm with shortened length growth, either with nearly equal shortage within an internode, or with nearly zero length on one side (opposite bud-bearing side) and about 10 cm length on the other side (bud-bearing side), thus nodes stay oblique in an alternating sequence. Culm-nodes not prominent; nodal line marginally protruding 0.5–1 mm, with a white velvety band below the nodal line when young; supranodal line obscure, without a ridge; with aerial roots on the lower culm. Branch-buds solitary, ovate to subrotund, ca. 2.5 cm wide and 1.8 cm high, from the basal node up. Branches several, central one dominant; unbranched on the basal and lower culm; branching intravaginal; rebranching. Culm-leaves deciduous. Culm-leaf sheaths parabolic, farinose, scattered with appressed dark hairs; apex truncate; margins pale to brown ciliate. Culm-leaf auricles small and low, rim-like, dark brown, and ciliate when young. Culm-leaf ligule conspicuous, dark brown when young, ciliate with long pale bristles. Culm-leaf blade deflexed to reflexed, narrow and long, adaxially with dense brown hairs near the base. Foliage-leaves 7–10 per branchlet. Foliage-leaf sheaths glabrous, yellowish-green; apex reddish when young. Foliage-leaf auricles small, irregularly shaped, with a few long pale spreading bristles. Foliage-leaf ligule ca. 1 mm high, orange when young, margin subentire. Foliage-leaf blades lanceolate, 11–21 × 1.6–2.9 cm, glabrous above, pubescent beneath, mid-green to dark green on both surfaces; base rounded to wedge-shaped; apex attenuate; margins antrorsely scabrous; midvein proximally distinct and light green beneath; pseudopetiole 1–2 mm long.

Cultivation requirements: Grows well in full sun, but might prefer part shade; soil normal moisture-retentive or moist with good drainage.

Provisional identification: Dendrocalamus sp.

Comments: New culms do not always develop this unique culm pattern.