Yushania schmidiana

Synonyms: Arundinaria schmidiana A. Camus, Notul. Syst. (Paris) 14, 1953: 253-254; Sinarundinaria schmidiana (A. Camus) C. S. Chao & Renvoize, Kew Bull. 44 (2), 1989: 360; Fargesia schmidiana ex Kew GrassBase; Sinarundinaria elegans sensu C. S. Chao & Renvoize; Borinda schmidiana (A. Camus) Stapleton, Kew Bull. 53 (2), 1998: 457.

Thai name: "pai lahn" (?).

Distribution: THAILAND (North): Chiang Mai Province: ดอยอ่างขาง (Doi Ang Khang), on the east slope at 2,350 m altitude. — VIETNAM (South): Central Highlands: Lang Biang, and Chu Yang Sin, at 2,000–2,200 m altitude.

Culm size: Height 5 m, diameter not recorded.

Description: "… Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 150–200 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches dendroid. Leaf-sheaths reticulately veined; glabrous on surface. Ligule absent. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.4 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 6.5–9.5 cm long; 5–9 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 6–10 secondary veins; with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate. …" — Kew GrassBase, under Fargesia schmidiana, accessed 7 January 2023 [#1335].

Images: Photo of the type specimen (from Vietnam) at Herb. Mus. Paris. (leafy and flowering branches) [#1334].

Comments:
(1) Flowers and seeds are known from Vietnamese plants only.
(2) Only one collection from "Doi Angka" (Doi Ang Khang, ดอยอ่างขาง) by H. B. G. Garrett in 1926 is known (Kew Herbarium, under Yushania schmidiana, accessed 7 January 2023 [#1333]).
(3) The rhizome is not mentioned in the original description of Arundinaria schmidiana from Vietnam by A. Camus (1953: 253-254). In Kew GrassBase [#1335], the rhizome is described as short and pachymorph. However, this species from Vietnam "is now considered likely to be a species of Yushania instead [of Borinda], as it very probably has long rhizomes and spreads rather than forming clumps" (C.M.A. Stapleton, 2021: 7 [#1384]). It may be possible that the herbarium material from Thailand was taken into account for the description of the rhizome in Kew GrassBase. If it turns out that the rhizome type is different, then there are probably two different species, which would also be expected given the great distance of the origin of the specimens from both countries and the respective very narrow and montane distribution area.