Fargesia robusta
T. P. Yi
Guai gun zhu
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Summary
Source: WikipediaFargesia robusta is a species of clumping bamboo in the family Poaceae, native to Sichuan, China. Typically 3 m (10 ft) but reaching 4.5 m (15 ft), and with a narrow growth form, it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit as an ornamental. A number of cultivars are commercially available, including 'Campbell', 'Pingwu' (Green Screen is derived from 'Pingwu'), 'Wenchuan', and 'Wolong'. It is a food source for giant pandas but grows at too low an elevation for them to exploit, unless there has been a die-off of their usual species. It is a member of the Fargesia spathacea species complex, and may not be a distinct species.
Description
A bamboo. It grows 2-7 m tall. The culms are 1-3 cm across. The internodes are 15-30 cm long. There are 15-20 branches at each node. There are 2-4 leaves on the last branch. The leaf blade is 6-23 cm long by 1-2 cm wide.
Edible Uses
The shoots are eaten.
Distribution
It is a temperate plant. It grows in Sichuan in China between 1,700-2,800 m altitude.
Where It Grows
Asia, China,
Notes
The shoots are eaten by the giant panda.
References (2)
- Flora of China. Vol. 22, p 94 and Flora of China. www.eFloras.org
- J. Bamboo Res. 4(2): 28. 1985
