ID Unknow Middle Tennessee Bamboo

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David
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ID Unknow Middle Tennessee Bamboo

Post by David »

Hello Everyone this is my first post. I have approximately 24 varieties of bamboo, and five that I have collected locally. I need help with the ID of four of these collected spec. The current bamboo under consideration is the one I uploaded pictures for under 'unknown' ( Middle Tennessee). Ned Jaquith thinks it's poss. Ph atrovaginata. Any other thoughts? Thanks everyone.
kstanwick
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Post by kstanwick »

David welcome to the forum...where are we supposed to be looking? sorry but i don't see where they are. its probably me....
Kurt Stanwick
Stillwater NJ z6a

Kurt's Garden
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David
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Where to look.

Post by David »

Hi Kurt,
Look on bambooweb.info under pictures of Plants. They are listed under 'Unknown", and should be on or near the top of the listing. Look for the 2 pics from Middle Tennessee. Thanks for the input.
David
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2007: -17*F.

Post by Thuja »

Hi David, I'm not one to trust with an answer because I'm a newbie with bamboo. Anyway, that doesn't stop me from guessing (using a textbook). I looked at your photos and thought too it could be P. atrovaginata. P. bissetii, or heteroclada also seem possible, but I don't think thay can get that big. (Did you actually measure or just guessimate?) Also, I wasn't sure about the bending (crooks) you mentioned on 5th internodes? Bisset and atro aren't textbook "crookers." :) My less than 2 cents...
--Mike
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Thuja
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1951: -37*F;
1996: -29*F;
2005: -10*F;
2006: -17*F;
2007: -17*F.

photo

Post by Thuja »

Here's one of David's pictues from the gallery (img URL pasted here)...
Image
From a 20 old grove begun with a spec. from Cal. Culms are dark olive green,largest I saw was about 2" X 28' Owner said he cut a larger culm last year. Culms are closely spaced,lg dark green leaves. Every 5th culm has a gentle 45 deg curve at 5-8ft.???
--Mike
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Post by Roy »

kstanwick wrote:David welcome to the forum...where are we supposed to be looking? sorry but i don't see where they are. its probably me....
These are the 2 that he is talking about. I'm not sure these 2 images won't change when another image is uploaded. If they do change, then I need to get Bill to show me how to post for the "Unknowns"--Roy
(( :lol: Happy Days! New pictures added and the "Unkowns" are still here as originally placed--Roy 1/16/06 10 A.M.EST :lol: ))

<img src="http://www.bambooweb.info/images/bamboo ... own_18.jpg" alt="Unknown">

<img src="http://www.bambooweb.info/images/bamboo ... own_18.jpg" alt="Unknown">
Last edited by Roy on Mon Jan 16, 2006 2:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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David
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Post by David »

Thanks for the poss. ID's. What about Ph. arcana 'half-black'. Doesn't it have crooks several feet high on the culm? I did not measure the lg. culm with calipers, however I do a lot of building, and usually estimate fairly closely. I would say that the culm was well within 1.75-2.25" range. It was sl. less than 3 finger width and I paced off a cut culm about the same size at 9+ paces.
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1996: -29*F;
2005: -10*F;
2006: -17*F;
2007: -17*F.

Post by Thuja »

Oh man, P. arcana. That would explain the crooks but the size is still a problem. Its rated at 1.25" and hardy to 0*F. Also the culm sheath is supposed to have some spots.
--Mike
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David
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Post by David »

Hi Mike,
This one has had me stumped for 2 years,but it makes a beautiful grove. I was able to get 4 multiple cane, 150- 200lb field specimens. I am glad that I did because the owner of the grove bush hogged most of it down this year. I am fairly sure he doesn't know about rhizome prunning, and culm thinning. What ever this is it must be cold hardy. I've never seen it burn or show any signs of cold stress. (It can get pretty cold here, made it down to -11 in 1985, and freqently goes down to single digits) Well, there are lots of green bamboos and this is one that I like very much so I'll just call it that pretty green bamboo down by the bridge until we figure exactly what it is. Good to talk to you. Thanks.
David
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David
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Post by David »

It looks a lot like atrovaginata but atro has darker purple-browm culm sheaths. It also looks like bissetii but the culm leaf blades are too long and the wrong color. P. heteroclada has my vote at present.
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Post by Iowaboo »

Mike is one step ahead of me. No textbooks for me.

On another note: If a bamboo nursery was selling me all of, say aureosulcata and labeling it as other names; I wouldn't realize it years from now. My experience is quite limited in the bamboo world of identification. If I saw an arundo donax plant I could happily announce


That's Not Bamboo

But other than that I'm slowly progressing like a tortoise named loony k.
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1996: -29*F;
2005: -10*F;
2006: -17*F;
2007: -17*F.

Post by Thuja »

LK-- Just being able to tell Arundo from bamboo puts you in an elite class. :)

David-- I had the same concern about the the sheath color. Atro = dark + vaginata = sheath. Also I think culm leaf blades vary quite a bit in length and color so maybe aren't entirely reliable.
--Mike
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needmore
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Post by needmore »

If you'll allow me to disregard the crookstem aspect, everything else, including the culm leaves, says Bissetii to me. The shoots look right, the size is well within established ranges, the lack of winter damage, the culm coloration and the close spacing of the culms all say Bissetii.

On mature Heteroclada the branching is STIFFLY HORIZONTAL, to the extent that I heard one of the nursery workers at Adam Turtles place say that he dislikes digging Heteroclada because the branches can do a number on you. This species also would not do the crookstem as a rule and the shoots sure look like Bissetii to me.
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
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David
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Post by David »

LK- slow and steady wins the race. I'm sure your not giving your self enough credit.

Mike & LK - I guess the saying 'If it was easy they'd get it at Wal-Mart' applies X 2 to bamboo. I've read several books (13) in the 3 years on bamboo, and it has convinced me that bamboo is a facinating plant, and that it would be hard for any one person to 'Know it all'. I'll just keep on reading, learning, and observing and maybe one day I'll get it.

Brad- If one disregards the crooks(which is hard to do) Bissetii would certainly be a contender. I don't have any experience with Bissetii so it's hard for me to be very objective.

I sure have enjoyed talking to you guys. Did you all ever think that you were the only person on earth to have a passion for bamboo? All my friends suddenly get a blank stare when I start talking bamboo.

David
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Post by Iowaboo »

That's the great thing about the internet. It links people from around the world with whatever hobbies they have. :lol: :idea: :lol:
The people on these forums have helped me decide on what bamboo species to add to my collection. 8)
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