大节竹 da jie zhu

Sinobambusa gibbosa McClure, Lingnan Univ. Sci. Bull. 9: 58. 1940; Indosasa gibbosa (McClure) McClure.

Culms to 5 m, to 4 cm in diam.; internodes flexuose, initially green, 40–65 cm, glaucous, glabrous; wall thick, cavity pith thin; nodes very prominent. Culm sheath obscurely spotted, shorter than internode, densely setose at base, one or sometimes both sides subglabrous, apex asymmetrical; auricles absent; oral setae sparse; ligule truncate, dentate; blade reflexed, triangular-lanceolate, slightly wrinkled, setose. Leaves 4–6 per ultimate branch; sheath glabrous; auricles weak; oral setae few, deciduous, erect; ligule short; blade linear-lanceolate, 11–22 × 2–4.5 cm, glabrous, glaucous, secondary veins 5–8-paired, one margin serrulate, other margin entire. Pseudospikelets robust, 6–12.5 × 0.7–1 cm, glabrous; florets 7–13. Palea about as long as lemma, or slightly longer; lodicules oblong. Anthers yellow. Ovary fusiform; style glabrous; stigmas 3. New shoots May, fl. Jun.

Open lowlands. SW Guangxi [N Vietnam].

The asymmetrical culm sheath makes this species very easy to distinguish.

The culms are used in many ways as supporting poles.