Is this Bambusa oldhamii?

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S9601694
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Is this Bambusa oldhamii?

Post by S9601694 »

I bought some bamboo from ebay last year (domestic seller). They were baby plants in 3" nursery planters.

Fast forward 1.5 years one of them (plant 1) has had some explosive growth! I am looking at 10' stocks right now!! The stocks are 'crooked' though, growing in a zigzag pattern with pretty thick side sprouts. The other one (plant 2) is smaller, more compact and seems to have larger and darker green leaves than the other. Do y'all think this is really Bambusa oldhamii?

Thanks!!

Plant 1
Image

Image

Image

Plant2
Image
marcat
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Re: Is this Bambusa oldhamii?

Post by marcat »

Oldhamii is not known for zig zag. Your in Conroe what zone? Zone eight should nock a non protectected clump to the ground most every winter. I am in 9 and have them get leveled some years. They do come back.
If it is an oldhamii and this winter is mild with enough water it should really jump in size. Might do it this summer.
Not many of the tropical clumper types on the forum now days hope some one more knowlageable gives you a reply.
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Re: Is this Bambusa oldhamii?

Post by needmore »

Does the zig-zag suggest ventricosa to you Marcat?
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Re: Is this Bambusa oldhamii?

Post by S9601694 »

All the bamboo in my yard loves life. I also have giant weaver and graceful and both are shooting out new shoots like crazy!


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Re: Is this Bambusa oldhamii?

Post by marcat »

It does Brad but the leaves appear to be big for a ventricosa. Could be the photos making them look that way.
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Re: Is this Bambusa oldhamii?

Post by S9601694 »

marcat wrote:It does Brad but the leaves appear to be big for a ventricosa. Could be the photos making them look that way.
MarCat
The leaves on "plant 2" are pretty big


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Re: Is this Bambusa oldhamii?

Post by Madake Corporation »

Hi. I am from Italy and according to my experience with bambusa oldhamii it could be a plant from tissue-culture.

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Re: Is this Bambusa oldhamii?

Post by S9601694 »

Madake Corporation wrote:Hi. I am from Italy and according to my experience with bambusa oldhamii it could be a plant from tissue-culture.

Thomas Allocca

Can you explain what that means? Thanks!
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Re: Is this Bambusa oldhamii?

Post by Madake Corporation »

Tissueculture is a laboratory reproduction system and it can produce genetical modifications as phenomenon of albinism or premature flowering or the most common side effect to reduce viability or quality of plants. The crooked effect could be another side effect of the genetical instability of the plant if it is from laboratory and it is bambusa oldhamii.
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Re: Is this Bambusa oldhamii?

Post by S9601694 »

Madake Corporation wrote:Tissueculture is a laboratory reproduction system and it can produce genetical modifications as phenomenon of albinism or premature flowering or the most common side effect to reduce viability or quality of plants. The crooked effect could be another side effect of the genetical instability of the plant if it is from laboratory and it is bambusa oldhamii.
Aha ok.. Well they are growing like they are mutants.. 'plant 2' shot two new shoots out that are twice as high as the rest of the plant...and very slightly crooked as well.
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Re: Is this Bambusa oldhamii?

Post by Madake Corporation »

The risk could be you will have new shoots with a lower growth than supposed for this species. At my latitude 41*N at 150 m asl with 1000 mm of annual rain I have experimented Bambusa Oldhamii can produce eachywar new culms the double in diameter than the year before and from tissue culture they reduced this amazing growth. If you are sure about the species the only way to be sure about if they are original clones or from laboratory is to check out and to report the diameters after a good fertilization and appropriate watering through vaporization on leaves during midday twice a week at least and soil rich of turf or sawdust and humid constantly. This is the best wayand if you will have good shoots maybe it is just a wrong species.
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Re: Is this Bambusa oldhamii?

Post by S9601694 »

Madake Corporation wrote:The risk could be you will have new shoots with a lower growth than supposed for this species. At my latitude 41*N at 150 m asl with 1000 mm of annual rain I have experimented Bambusa Oldhamii can produce eachywar new culms the double in diameter than the year before and from tissue culture they reduced this amazing growth. If you are sure about the species the only way to be sure about if they are original clones or from laboratory is to check out and to report the diameters after a good fertilization and appropriate watering through vaporization on leaves during midday twice a week at least and soil rich of turf or sawdust and humid constantly. This is the best wayand if you will have good shoots maybe it is just a wrong species.
Seeing that I bought them through eBay I cannot be sure of species. I am not too worried about what they are. The only thing I care about is that they become large and don't run. Both seems to be happening so I'm content! I'll keep posting pics if y'all are interested.


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Re: Is this Bambusa oldhamii?

Post by marcat »

Tissue culture plants do not seem to have the vigor of clone or produced from seed have.
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Re: Is this Bambusa oldhamii?

Post by LA Bamboo »

Digging up an old dead thread here, but I wanted to comment that my oldhamii do exhibit a zig-zag pattern in the smaller culms. All culms over 1" diameter are straight, but my smaller culms sometimes (not always...and not usually) zig-zag.

I have 38 oldhamii plants at this point, 5 of which have 1-2 small zig-zag culms.
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Re: Is this Bambusa oldhamii?

Post by needmore »

Bought an interested looking bamboo at Lowes, labelled as Oldhamii but I was doubtful. I'm not very experienced with Bambusa but it looked more like a Multiplex or Textillis but not quite right for those either. Have been wondering if it is a tissue culture Oldhamii, it is not gaining any size really. The way the leaves fold down a bit is like Oldhamii but they fan off the stems different and their is zig zag culms but I don't think it is ventricosa thogh it could be. Might be a long experiment to see more mature shoots.
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