Bambusa polymorpha confusion

[bamboo research]

Hello all,

Just a quick note. I did see some sporadic Nana flowering north of Bangkok, Thailand in 2006 and as of a year ago the parent plant was still doing well. It is one of the most beautiful bamboos I've seen with fine textured leaves and tall, straight culms. I think it looks nothing like any multiplex out there. Victor Cusak said the same in his book "Bamboo World". It is native to Thailand while multiplex is native to China. I've seen it grow to 55' and can have culms up to 2" in diameter under ideal conditions but 35'-40' and 1" is far more common. Dr. Dransfield is examining the flowers now to re-reclassify it. Apparently someone looking at herbarium specimens with no good examples of flowers decided it must be the same as the multiplex group. Hopefully the grass phylogeny group will take another DNA sample and get it classified properly.

I think, however, that you should be careful if buying "Nana" in the USA because when young it might look very much like a multiplex (check the color on the reverse side of the leaves) and culm leaves are somewhat similar.

[boonut]

Thanks for the reply Harry. I am fairly certain of the identity of the B. Nana I have. It came from very reliable sources. It was a very recent import.

It seems to like it at the Boonut farm. Can't wait until it puts up new shoots. Lots of new growth as a result of all the rain, but no shoots just yet. The original division looks like it is right at 2 inches in diameter.

[bamboo research]

Hello Boo-nut!

I have no doubt you have the real thing. I just hope someday you'll let me buy a piece off of you. The ones I tried to send didn't make it through quarantine and I found no viable seeds from the sporadic flowering I saw. I'm still hoping to get down there this summer!

Harry Simmons

[boonut]

Harry, you are always welcome at the boonut farm. I know just how much you are contributing to bamboo research. You are welcome to anything I have.

I have one from Thailand I need you to help ID. The picture below is one from Chuck Theroux's house in Florida. It is a very recent import from Thailand. I don't know if anyone knows what it is other than it came from Thailand. It has variegated leaves and culms. I have a very small division I am trying to nurse along.

What do you think?

[mr.mike]

Allen,

That photo looks a lot like a B. luteostriata to me...but I'm still learning.

Mike

[boonut]

I have a Bambusa Luteostriata. That isn't it. This one seems to be a smaller bamboo. When it puts up new shoots, I will take more pics. It is very small right now.

Thanks for the guess. It doesn't seem to like very much sun at all... just another thing I have noticed.

[Bamboo Conne'isseur]

Are there any large big boos that have and keep variegated leaves?

[boonut]

The biggest one I have with variegated leaves is Dendrocalamus Giganteus "variegated". It seems to have more variegation early in the year... and then by the time July rolls around, the variegation starts to go away in all the new leaves.

I have a Guadua Aureocaulis that seems to hold its variegation... although mine aren't that big yet.