ID? Pleioblastus humilis 'Variegatus' ?

[Mark Meckes]

Pleioblastus humilis 'Variegatus'? - Pennsylvania/New Jersey border
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/801/thumbs/PlchvagDurPA92-002.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3394) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/801/thumbs/PlchvagFRPA940611-001.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3393)
Due to winter dieback in a Zone 6-ish 0F climate it never achieved optimum height.
Many years ago someone had planted this in their dwarf conifer/rock garden.
After it had spread throughout the garden I was asked to eradicate it.
Great plant! It provided me with "job security" for some time as it lead to a complete makeover of the owners garden.
He had got it as a Pleioblastus argentoestriatus, then someone ID'd it as Pleioblastus chino 'Vaginatus Variegatus' but now I think it must have been Pl. humilis 'Variegatus' (?)

Mark

[sasa fool]

Mark, that is a handsome little devil! Of all places, I found a fern-like variegated ground cover in Honolulu, one that does not match anything else I can find in the US. When I went to visit Jos van der Palen in the Netherlands, this was the only bamboo that he was interested in having me bring to him. He thinks it is a variegated Pl. distichus, possibly Pl. pygmaeus (here we go again!). Mine here in Indiana now seems less ferny and looks a little bit more like Pl. fortunei that it did initially but I do not think that is it, nor does Jos. Yours looks different from any of the others I've seen here as well, but with that central white stripe it is like a dwarf Pl. shibuyanus 'Tsuboi'.

[Mark Meckes]

Hi Brad,
Heres another pic of this bamboo, showing that it can have a tendancy for some leaves to be highly variegated, or white at the base.
Variegation was sporadic. Some leaves would remain green, and other leaves had every degree of variegation.
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/801/thumbs/PlchvagDurPA92-001.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3392)
I don't have this plant now, but one of these days I'll go through my shoeboxes of pics from yesteryear to see if I have any more pics of this plant.
One day I'll take a trip back up north and visit this private garden again.
I know I wasn't able to remove all the bamboo rhizomes ;)

[Agrobambu]

Hi Mark & bamboocrafters.net
I have a lot of Pleioblastus... variegatus here, but it is very dificult to specify exactly wich one.
I bought them in a nursery with a label ...Pleiblastus variegatus (nothing more). All Pleioblastus... variegatus have the same aspect. I have clumps with poles 2 m tall and 1cm diameter. They grow well at temp. near -5°C to 5°C in the winter but loosing leaves with icy time. In summertime temp. 20°C to 42°C.
We don't have snow time here in my area only at mountains near 50 miles north from here.
My Pleioblastus are very similar with this ones attached to the others posts.
I will be glad to discover a new name to mines too.
I'm sending a link with a Pleioblatus synonym list http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/users/djh/ebs/synonyms/pleiobla.htm
and some atached Pleiblastus...variegatus pics.
Bye.
Ene

[Mark Meckes]

Hi Ene,
I would need to see more pics to be sure, but I will take a guess that it is:
Pleioblastus simonii 'Variegatus'
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/575/thumbs/PsimVarCHBTX070619-9318.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=5004)

This bamboo, at least here in the US is quite an unstable variety.
It can grow new shoots which have reverted back to the all green species form:
Pleioblastus simonii (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=574) (pics at Bamboo Flora)
Pleioblastus simonii grows larger, and also has larger leaves.
Does this appear to be what you have?

Mark

[Agrobambu]

Mark
I'm :confused: If P.humilis variegatus or P. simonii variegatus, but I agree that mines are more near of simonii(because the size). I can see some diferences of your pics to mine. My Pleioblastus have leaves all time withestripped, rarely the're green. This ones you show me have predominant green leaves(probably too much shadow).
I'll send you after more pics to a better comparison.
Bye,
Ene