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— BAMBOOS OF THAILAND — ONLINE VERSION OF 1 JANUARY 2021 — LATEST UPDATE OF 21 SEPTEMBER 2025 —
Bambusa valida (Q. H. Dai) W. T. Lin, Guihaia 10 (1), 1990: 15.
Synonyms: Dendrocalamopsis valida Q. H. Dai; Dendrocalamus validus hort. US.
Thai name: ไผ่กวางสีแข็งแกร่ง (phai kwang si khaeng kraeng).
Chinese name: 壮绿竹 (zhuàng lǜ zhú).
English name: Guangxi Power Bamboo.
Distribution: THAILAND: introduced from the USA, in cultivation, rare. — CHINA (South): Guangxi, in cultivation in Nanning; cf. notes in Flora of China under Bambusa, "Taxa incertae sedis".
Culm size: Height 12–16 m, diameter 8–12 (15) cm.
Description: "Habit: Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; nodding at the tip; 1200–1600 cm long; 80–120 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 20–25 cm long; distally glabrous, or pubescent. Culm-nodes swollen; pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 18–22 cm long; 1.5 times as long as wide; coriaceous; hispid; with appressed hairs; with dark brown hairs; convex at apex; auriculate; setose on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 4–5 mm high; ciliate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate, or narrowly ovate; erect; pubescent. Leaves cauline; 5–8 per branch. Leaf-sheaths pubescent; hairs tawny. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades oblong; 8–30 cm long; 20–65 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate. Inflorescence: Flowering specimens unknown." — Kew GrassBase, accessed 19 Oct. 2020 [#1335].
Images: Photos in BambooWeb.info [#1340].
Bambusa valida (BS-0262): Young shoots
Specimens: BS-0262 [W3], BS-0462 [-], BS-0329 [-] (living plants), received from the USA in 2009-2010.
Characteristics:
(1) Culms erect, often ascending or somewhat bending, tips nodding, the lower third usually unbranched. Young shoots reddish-orange; emerge from June to August. Culm-internodes (30) 35–45 (51) cm long, glabrous and smooth, almost glossy; basal diameter up to 8.5 cm; lower culm thick-walled, toward the apex rather thin-walled. Culm-nodes slightly prominent. Branch-buds solitary, large, broader than tall. Branches several, unequal, the central one rather thick and long. Foliage-leaf blades large, dark green.
(2) Culm size dimensions: Basal culm 0.1 m above the ground, culm diameter 8.5 cm; 0.9 m above the ground, diameter 7.5 cm, wall thickness 2.3 cm, lumen width 2.9 cm; lower culm 3.9 m above the ground, diameter 8.5 cm, wall 1.5 cm, lumen 5.5 cm; mid-culm 7.4 m above the ground, diameter 8.7 cm, wall 0.8 cm, lumen 7.1 cm; upper culm 11.9 m above the ground, diameter 5.1 cm, wall 0.4 cm, lumen 4.3 cm; culm apex 18.6 m.Uses: Shoots very delicious, one of the best species for commercial shoot production in subtropical climates. Culms may be used for construction, mainly if somewhat bent poles are needed, e.g., large bent beams for gates and halls. Plants have ornamental value (reddish shoot, vivid non-straight habit, large leaves), excellent for landscaping and larger gardens.
Cultivation requirements: Easy and fast-growing; in part shade to full sun, thrives well in heavy, moisture-retentive soil with good drainage. Tolerates some flooding.
Comments: Not yet described in the Flora of China (accessed 24 July 2017 [#1303]).
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