Phyllostachys elegans flowering - PI#128778

[Mark Meckes]

See all photos of Phyllostachys elegans (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=545) at Gallery Bamboo Flora.
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Phyllostachys elegans - PI#128778 - Plot B5, 1993, USDA ARS Byron GA USA
From USDA Agricultural Handbook # 114 ...
" In 1938, propagating material of Phyllostachys elegans, (Plant Introduction) PI# 128778, was obtained by F.A.McClure at Ta-ts'it near Hung-mo Mountain, Tan District, Hainan Island, China and sent to the United States Department of Agriculture.
The local Chinese (Cantonese) name "Fa Chuk" (Flowered or Embroidered Bamboo) alludes to the maculation (spots and speckling) on the culm sheaths.
There was an earlier introduction (1936), representing what appears to be a somewhat less vigorous strain of the species, PI# 110511, obtained by McClure at Mung-haang, Ts'ing-yuen District, Kwangtung Province, China.
The Chinese (Cantonese) vernacular name is "Man Sun" or "Man Chuk",
(Elegant Shoot, or Elegant Bamboo) and was taken as the basis for the specific epithet. "
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Side note ...
No info available on whether PI# 110511 still exists in the USA.
It is possible that all identified Phyllostachys elegans are propagules derived from PI#128778.

Have seeds been obtained from the flowering plant and have new seedling generations been propagated?

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I personally became acquainted with Phyllostachys elegans in 1993, at the USDA Bamboo Germplasm Repository in Byron Georgia, USA at which time it was in full flowering mode.

Before and after maintenance ... First major thinning since the plot was planted, around 1980. Contained in concrete barrier.

http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/545/thumbs/PelegB5BGA930310-1.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=1968) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/545/thumbs/PelegB5BGA930601-2.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=1969)

At this time, 1993, it was producing robust shoots ...
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/545/thumbs/PelegB5BGA930601-6.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=1973)
By evidence of the number of previous years culms that had finished, or were at the height of flowering, and were removed, it appeared that it had been flowering for some years hence.
By the size of new shoots and vigor of new growth, it had the appearance that it was ending it's flowering cycle and resuming vegetative growth.

However, upon revisited this planting in Feb, 2005 (12 years later), smaller tillering shoots showed extensive signs of flowering, and there were a few sporadic flowering bracts on branch tips of larger culms.
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/545/thumbs/PelegansB5BGA050223-589.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=1998)

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In 2002 I dug up and transplanted P. elegans from the late Herb Hillery's Bamboo Farm (Jarrel TX)
It is has grown with extreme vigor.
I only recently noticed (Sept 2005) that the tips of of many branches showed some signs of flowering.
However I did not see any florets, just the bracts as shown below.

View of flowering branch tips, which are more numerous high up at the tops of the culm.
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/545/thumbs/PelegAuTX050906-036.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=2219)

Flowering tips on side branch ...

http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/545/thumbs/PelegAuTX050906-040.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=2218) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/545/thumbs/PelegAuTX050816-032.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=2217) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/545/thumbs/PelegAuTX050906-039.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=2216)

The name "Fa Chuk" (Flowered or Embroidered bamboo) could certainly allude to it's persistent flowering habit.

Mark

[Mark Meckes]

Update September 7, 2007
Two years have passed since my last post about our Phyllostachys elegans planting.
In 2006, and so far this year I have not observed any signs of flowering.

However another odd thing has been happening.
Most second year culms gradually begin to die back from the top downwards as shown in these photos:
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/545/thumbs/PelegAuTX070302-5247.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3840) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/545/thumbs/PelegAuTX070302-5248.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3839)

This happened in 2006 and again in 2007.

Could this have something to do with it's previous long period of flowering, in which after flowering the culms dies?
The previous flowering (2005) that I observed was generally sparce, at the tips of the upper branches, and these are the parts that are dying
Often the lower branches or parts of them retain their leaves, at least for a longer period of time.

However last year I did not observe any flowering and yet the same thing (top die-back of second year culms) is happening again this year.

Another thing to note is that the plantings are growing very well and have spread with great vigor.
They are growing (inter-mixed) among other Phyllostachys species and none of these other species are having this problem.

Mark