箭竹 jian zhu

Arundinaria spathacea (Franchet) D. McClintock; Tham-nocalamus spathaceus (Franchet) Soderstrom.

Rhizome neck 7–13 cm, 7–20 mm in diam. Culms 1.5–4 m, 0.5–2 cm in diam.; internodes terete, 15–18 cm, initially with or without light white powder, glabrous; wall 1.5–2.5 mm thick; supra-nodal ridges level or weakly prominent; sheath scar prominent, initially white-gray setulose. Branches 9–17 per node, deflexed, slightly white powdery, solid or nearly so. Culm sheaths persistent or gradually deciduous, yellowish, narrowly rounded to triangular, longer, equal to, or shorter than internodes, leathery, brown setulose, longitudinal ribs prominent, margins initially brown ciliate; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule truncate, ca. 1 mm, margin densely gray ciliate; blade reflexed or erect, triangular or linear-lanceolate, adaxially proximally white-gray pilose. Leaves 2 or 3 per ultimate branch; sheath glabrous or margin initially yellow-brown ciliate; auricles obscure, purple; oral setae present; ligule truncate or slightly arcuate, ca. 1 mm, glabrous; blade linear-lanceolate, 6–10 × 0.5–1.3 cm, glabrous, secondary veins 3–5-paired, transverse veins distinct, base cuneate, one margin spinescent-serrulate, other margin obscure. Inflorescence a raceme, subtended by 3 or 4 spathes; spikelets 8–14, 1.3–2.5 cm, rachilla internodes 1.5–3 mm, white-gray pilose, apically swollen; florets 2 or 3. Glumes 1 or 2, leathery; lemma setulose, apex long mucronate. Palea slightly setose, keels serrulate; lodicule ciliate on margins. Anthers yellow. Ovary oblong, glabrous; style 1; stigmas 2. Caryopsis light purple, ovoid, glabrous. New shoots May.

* 1300–2400 m. W Hubei, E Sichuan.

This is the type species of Fargesia. It was described from flowers of uncertain origin, and correlation with living plants has been controversial. Fargesia murielae was included in this species after the initiation of flowering in F. murielae in Europe revealed that it also has tight unilateral inflorescences, which were initially considered (Soderstrom, Garden (New York, 1977+) 3(4): 22–27. 1979) to be a character specific to this species, within a broad Thamnocalamus, although they are now considered a characteristic of the genus Fargesia instead.

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