Shibataea chinensis/S.kumasaca .. How to ID besides height?

[Mark Meckes]

Is there any ID characteristics besides height to differentiate between these two species?

We were given a Shibataea species and I'd like to verify it's species ID.
Planted out from a small container, 4 years ago in an open shaded location under the canopy of a tree, (Austin TX), it now has a spread of about 15 ft / 4+m.
Though mostly around 2 feet height, in the shadiest location it is about 30" in height.
According to the ABS source list ...
Shibataea kumasaca - height: 7 ft / 2m
Shibataea chinensis - height 2 ft / 1M
(1 m is more than 2 feet ... can it grow taller?)

Unless it can be determined otherwise ... I have uploaded pics of this planting at BambooFlora under Shibataea chinensis (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=624)

Apparently S. chinensis is more tolerant of alkaline growing conditions than S. kumasaca, and our soil is pretty alkaline here.
Nonetheless culms that reach about 3 years of age begin to yellow as shown here:
Shibataea chinensis(?)
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/624/thumbs/ShchinAuTX060709-3499.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3252)

In the book, Temperate Bamboos by Michael Bell, he mentions of S. kumasaca ...
" It is said to enjoy an acid soil, but more important than this is copious water in the growing season. It enjoys a warm, damp summer in cooler regions, or protection from heat in areas with hot, dry summers" ... which I agree, that summer heat and dry/drought periods afffects our bamboos more than anything else.

He also mentions of Shibataea species ...
" Although technically leptomorph, in the garden the rhizomes are so slow spreading that it can be considered a clumping genus"

This is certainly not the case in my situation.

2 years of rhizome growth of our Shibatea chinensis
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/624/thumbs/ShchinAuTX070419-7135.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=5044)

Mark

[Despotate of bamboo]

Here are some pictures of the Shibataea chinensis that I have.
Hopefully these pictures will help you.
All of the pictures were taken today.

A Shibataea chinensis in the early stages of development:
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/624/thumbs/100_0329_SC_foliage.JPG (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3259&cat=500&ppuser=746)

A picture of a rhizome:
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/624/thumbs/A_rhizome_picture.JPG (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3258&cat=500&ppuser=746)

Another picture of the foliage:
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/624/thumbs/SC_picture1.JPG (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3257&cat=500&ppuser=746)

[sasa fool]

Mark, I've been trying to remember what I noticed this year that was unique about the S. chinensis compared to my 2 patches of S. kumasaca, or my patch of S. lancifolia and I just rememebered - the new culms of S. chinensis were heavily pruinose and the others were not at all. I enjoyed just looking at the new culms for a few weeks before the intense blue faded away. I'm not sure if this is a reliable ID trait or not but I'll be sure to keep an eye out for it next year - have you ever noticed this on your Shibataea?

[Mark Meckes]

Pruinose - having a whitish, waxy, powdery bloom on the (culm) surface

I did not notice this Brad ... but I wasn't looking.
After the shoots came up and leaves unfurled the growth was so dense looking down from above I did not see the culms.
Next year I will be sure to get down on my knees and get a close look at the newly exposed culms.

I took these measurements today of what I think is S. chinensis

Average height
Deeper shade - 33" (84cm)
Partial shade - 24" (61cm)

Average maximum internode diameter - 2.5 mm

Internode spacing
Longest (near base) - 10 cm , usually around 7 cm
Then the internode lengths would graduate to 6 cm, 5 cm, 4 cm
... and becoming shorter near the tops

I will harvest and take a group photo of some culms at some time to get a better idea of their internode spacing.
I don't know if there is any difference with general internode spacing with S. kumasaca
I do remember harvesting some S. kumasaca in Philidelphia years ago and I felt it had some potential for craft use, whereas my S. chinensis is just too wispy to be of much craft value.
When I grew the S. kumasaca in NE Mts of Pennsylvania it would get top killed annually and grew no more than 2ft (60 cm), and was quite timid in spread.
Eventually after about a decade it died out, either due to a brutal winter, competion from other plants, voles, or a combination of the above.

For reference, here's info from the 2007 ABS Source list on the 2 species in question:

Shibataea chinensis
Similar but smaller than S. kumasaca, it may also be hardier.
Shows less leaf burn under alkaline conditions

Maximum Height: 2ft (1M)
Maximum Diameter: 0.1in (0.3cm)
Minimum Temperature: -10 F (-23 C)
Sun/Shade: 3 (Full Sun = 5)

---------------

Shibataea kumasaca
Short broad leaves give it a unique appearance.
The slender, nearly solid culms bear prominent nodes and short slightly zigzag internodes.
Prefers acid soil, shows extensive leaf burn if in alkaline environment.

Maximum Height: 7ft (2M)
Maximum Diameter: 0.3in (0.8cm)
Minimum Temperature: -10 F (-23 C)
Sun/Shade: 3 (Full Sun = 5)