ID help please

[needmore]

This plant is supposed to be Phyllostachys propinqua. I would appreciate any ID comments you may have, I know that lots of Phy propinqua in Europe turned out to be Phy. praecox, an early shooter with short internodes. I am suspicious because this plant does not show the purported hardiness, it shoots much earlier than the general descriptions, and the internodes are pretty short. If it may well be propinqua, then it must take some time to exhibit hardiness. I believe this is 4 winters here and is presently shooting a distance of nearly 20 linear feet, so spreading fairly quickly although not producing many culms in prior years.

Thanks in advance for any comments, I've looked at the pictures here and just can't say that it is or isn't properly ID'd.

<img src="http://www.bambooweb.info/images/bamboo ... inqua1.jpg" alt="Phyllostachys propinqua ">


<img src="http://www.bambooweb.info/images/bamboo ... pinqua.jpg" alt="Phyllostachys propinqua ">

[mito0]

hey brad,
is this regular propinqua or 'beijing?'

[needmore]

Straight Propinqua, not the Beijing. The Beijing I have sizes up faster,is significantly hardier, (as hardy as Yellow Groove or Bissetii this year, and looks better than Rubro or Atrovaginata coming out of winter) shoots later, the shoots look very different (very similar to the Flexuosa, Glauca, Iridescens look). I am hopeful that it proves to be a superior zone 6 species and I am doubtful that it is a form of the one pictured here - too different.

[Iowaboo]

, I know that lots of Phy propinqua in Europe turned out to be Phy. praecox, an early shooter with short internodes

Do you have a praecox to compare it to?

beijing should have the propinqua drop off its name:
Phyllostachys beijing

[mito0]

off topic - why is decora considered conspecific with mannii? their shoots aren't even remotely similar.

[needmore]

Lance, I have the yellow form of praecox but as it is still a punk the shoots are not valid ID tools yet.

[hotchkiss]

Brad,

I have looked at our praecox prevernalis and at the propinqua at Byron. Both have fairly prominent nodal ridges. The praecox is much advanced in shoot development and although they are in different locations I think that is significant. The ligules are somewhat similar but when compared to Mc Clures drawing of propinqua it is different. Here is a ligule of the praecox . Mc Clures drawing is in the Handbook of the Phyllostachys which is available on the ABS website. The other difference is that praecox has crinkled sheath leaf blades and propinqua has mostly straight leaf blades. Here is picture of the praecox leaf blade . Based on your pictures and the early shooting I think you may have a form of Ph. praecox.
Mike

[needmore]

Mike, thanks for the photos & input. To my eye the shoots look like praecox as well, particularly the slight magenta blush at the tops of the leaf margins, along with the spotting, ligules, and blade shapes. Having read that there was a mix up of these species in Europe really got me thinking about it.

This is potentially good news in that it would mean I do not yet have propinqua, and now need to source one for field trials - one that has a good ID. It's nearly impossible these days for me to add anything new to the field trials, I suspect that I really should try a Phy. platyglossa as well.