P. Aurea - 3" and 30'+

[madsquabbles]

is it normal for aurea to grow to 30+ feet with a 3" diameter or is it a different species of bamboo i have? most sources i've seen say it's only up to 2 in, but the wild ones growing around the sample i got were well over 25 feet. the cliff below was at least 15' down and the culms were growing around 15-20' beyond that, nearly topping the trees. it doesn't have the compacted stems like some of the photos i've seen. the shoots are green and the fully grown culms are a pretty golden color. if i go back to white rock i'll take photos of the fully grown culms and take as accurate a measurement that i can.

[Mark Meckes]

Hi madsquabbles,
I should note that in ideal conditions, many bamboos have been known to exceed the average listings of height and diameter.

In our grove of P. aurea, I've measured a few taller culms growing down in the gully at 30+ ft tall and 2 1/2" diameter.

Some culms don't have any shortened internodes.

Smaller diameter culms may have compressed internodes at the base:
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/1Mvc-206f.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=691)

... while larger diameter culms may have just a couple shortened internodes:
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/1P_aurea_4_Austin_TX_USA.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=792)

... or there may be numerous distorded internodes higher up:
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/1Mvc-205f1.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=688)

This characteristic is extremely variable, but if the grove is P. aurea. there should be some culms exhibiting this trait.

If not, then there is a possibility that it may be Phyllostachys meyeri (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=565)

P. meyeri looks very similar to P. aurea, but without the shortened internodes. I think the internodes may be a little longer too, on mature culms.
The new shoots of each species also appear very similar, with the exception that P. meyeri has a slightly more extended ligule on the culm sheath, and not having as pronounced hairs on the edging of the ligule as P. aurea.

P. meyeri culm sheath ligule
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/565/thumbs/PmeyeriSkvTX050412-058.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=1191)

P. aurea culm sheath ligule
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaureaAuTX020426-087.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3155) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaureaAuTX020426-088.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3154)
Image on right has sheath blade pulled back, displaying more details of ligule.

********

There is a species available in the American Bamboo Society source list called Phyllostachys aurea 'Takemurai' which describes as:
- lacking shortened internodes, and growing to a height of 35ft and 3" diameter.
I have not had an opportunity to observe an actual plant that the suppliers provide.

A few years ago I visited Waco TX which has an abundance of P. meyeri in the region, planted many years ago. At one location, near a spring fed grove, there were a few culms growing to 3" diameter.
(The ABS listing for P. meyeri is ... Height: 33ft (10M) / Diameter: 2" (5.1cm)

This prompted me to make this post:
Phyllostachys aurea 'Takemurai' = P. meyeri? (http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2045)

Mark

[madsquabbles]

well, if you, or anyone else is interested in some p. aurea in south carolina here's link : google map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&z=17&ll=34.144505,-81.272113&spn=0.004582,0.010042&om=1&msa=10)

they're contained within dutch fork road, mt vernon church rd, and the rr tracks. i didn't venture to much further b/c i had my 1 yr old daughter with me. let me tell you it was tough trying to transplant bamboo while holding a little girl in one arm! she was scared by the train so i had to calm her down.

you may want to see if the owner of the exxon is there since he owns the land and get permission to dig. i was told he's usually there early in the mornings and wouldn't mind if you dug there.