Dendrocalamus sp. 'Maroochy'

Synonyms: Dendrocalamus brandisii 'Maroochydore'; Bambusa sp. 'Maroochy';  Dendrocalamus maroochy hort.

Thai name: ไผ่มะรูชี (phai maruchi).

English name: Maroochy Bamboo.

Distribution: THAILAND: introduced, in cultivation, rare. — INDIA: origin. — In cultivation in AUSTRALIA, USA, and other tropical and subtropical countries.

Culm size: Height to 15 m, diameter to 10 cm.

Characteristics: Culms green with narrow yellow stripes of different widths.

Images: Photos in BambooWeb.info [#1340]; BambooLand.com (culms, habit).

Uses: Culms for construction; shoots for food; plants as garden ornamentals and for landscaping.

Cultivation requirements: Easy and fast-growing; in full sun, best in rich moist soils with good drainage; prefers tropical or subtropical climates, but still tolerates some frost to –4 °C.

Comments:

(1) Flowers unknown.

(2) It has been said that 'Maroochy' originates from a shipment of Dendrocalamus brandisii seeds (possibly from India) grown by someone in Maroochydore, Queensland.

(3) The characteristics of 'Maroochy' do not support identification as Dendrocalamus brandisii. Although the young culm-internode is sparsely whitish pubescent, the shape and indument of the culm-leaf do not point to this species. The sheath of 'Maroochy' is covered with brown hair (which may turn black with age), and the auricles are erect lobes (not plated rims). However, the descriptions of Dendrocalamus brandisii are not uniform in the specification of the hair color of the culm-leaf sheaths: white is given in one description, black in another.

(4) A valid publication of the name, "Dendrocalamus maroochy", is not known.