空心箭竹 kong xin jian zhu

Borinda edulis (Hsueh & T. P. Yi) Stapleton.

Rhizome neck 6–10 cm. Culms 5–8 m, 2–4 cm in diam.; internodes terete, 28–40 cm, densely white powdery, glabrous or setose below node; wall 2–4 mm thick; supra-nodal ridges level or weakly prominent; sheath scar prominent, glabrous or initially erectly brown setose. Branches 4–7 per node. Culm sheaths gradually deciduous, yellow-brown, leathery, densely brown to dark brown setose, longitudinal ribs prominent, margins densely brown setose, apex sharply narrow; auricles absent; oral setae deciduous; ligule truncate, ca. 1 mm, glabrous, fissured; blade erect, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, glabrous, margins serrulate. Leaves 5–7 per ultimate branch; sheath glabrous; auricles present; oral setae few; ligule truncate, glabrous; blade lanceolate, 10–15 × 1–1.4(–2.2) cm, abaxially pubescent or glabrous, secondary veins 4- or 5-paired, transverse veins distinct, base cuneate, margins spinescent-serrulate. Inflorescence a raceme, upper part extended from spathe; spikelets 4–7, 2.5–3.2 cm, rachilla 4–5 mm, glabrous or apically white puberulous; florets 3 or 4. Glumes 2, papery, glabrous; lemma glabrous or pilose, apex acuminate; palea keels ciliolate; lodicules ciliate. Anthers 7–9 mm. Ovary yellow-brown, ovoid, glabrous, apex swollen; styles 2; stigma linear. Caryopsis unknown. New shoots May.

* 1900–2800 m. W Yunnan.

The shoots are edible, and the culms are used for weaving and papermaking.