人面竹 ren mian zhu

Phyllostachys bambusoides Siebold & Zuccarini var. aurea (Carrière ex Rivière & C. Rivière) Makino; P. breviligula W. T. Lin & Z. M. Wu; P. formosana Hayata; P. reticulata (Ruprecht) K. Koch var. aurea (Carrière ex Rivière & C. Rivière) Makino.

Culms 5–12 m, 2–5 cm in diam.; internodes 15–30 cm, usually strongly shortened and commonly ventricose at basal nodes, distally inflated for several mm below node at mid-culm and basal nodes, initially white powdery, glabrous; wall 4–8 mm thick; nodal ridge as prominent as sheath scar or slightly more prominent; sheath scar initially fringed with white pubescence. Culm sheaths yellow-green or pale red-brown, becoming straw-colored, with variably sized brown spots, base edged with white pubescence; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule yellow-green, truncate or weakly convex at apex, very short, 1–2 mm, margin longer pale green ciliate; blade reflexed, green, with yellow margins, linear, flat or crinkled in upper sheaths. Leaves 2 or 3 per ultimate branch; sheath glabrous; auricles and oral setae absent or deciduous; ligule short; blade 6–12 × 1–1.8 cm, abaxially pilose especially near petiole.

* Forests, widely cultivated as an ornamental. Fujian, Zhejiang [introduced into many other countries as an ornamental].

Culms with irregular basal internodes are used for walking sticks, umbrella handles, and fishing rods.