短锥玉山竹 duan zhui yu shan zhu

Arundinaria brevipaniculata Handel-Mazzetti, Anz. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Math.-Naturwiss. Kl. 57: 237. 1920; A. chungii Keng; Sinarundinaria brevipaniculata (Handel-Mazzetti) Keng ex P. C. Keng; S. chungii (Keng) P. C. Keng; Yushania chungii (Keng) Z. P. Wang.

Rhizome neck to 20 cm. Culms 2–2.5 m, 5–10 mm in diam.; internodes initially purple-brown spotted, terete, ca. 32 cm, densely white powdery, glabrous; wall ca. 2.5 mm thick; nodes with level or weakly prominent supra-nodal ridge; sheath scar prominent, initially brown setulose. Branches 3–7. Culm sheaths persistent, abaxially spotted, narrowly rounded, ca. 1/3 as long as internodes, cartilaginous, basally sparsely light yellow setulose, margins apically light yellow-brown ciliate; auricles very strongly developed, purple, falcate; oral setae radiating, 7–8 mm; ligule arcuate, ca. 4 mm, glabrous; blade linear-lanceolate, revolute, glabrous. Leaves ca. 3 per ultimate branch; leaf sheath glabrous; auricles brown, falcate, oral setae radiating, yellow-brown, 2–5 mm; ligule arcuate, 1–2 mm, glabrous; blade lanceolate, 7–12 × 0.8–1.6 cm, glabrous, secondary veins 3–5-paired, base cuneate or broadly cuneate, margins spinescent-serrulate. Inflorescence paniculate; pedicel with axillary verruculose glands. Spikelets more than 20, 2.5–5 cm; rachilla 5–8 mm, hairy; florets 4–7, purple. Lemma purple, hairy at base, apex obtuse or acuminate; palea keels hairy. Caryopsis dark brown, trilateral, with persistent style base. New shoots Jun–Aug.

* 1800–3800 m. W Sichuan.

The shoots are edible and are an important food for the giant panda.