Phyllostachys aurea

Botanical Description

Phyllostachys aurea is an evergreen, running bamboo with erect culms 2 - 8 metres long. The thin-walled, woody culms are 20 - 30mm in diameter with internodes every 8 - 10cm. The clumps can be quite loose, especially in warmer climates where plants can run very freely. This tendency to run, however, is somewhat curtailed in cooler climates near the limits of the plant's cold tolerance, where new shoot production can be rather reduced[ 195 Title The Book of Bamboo Publication Author Farrelly. D. Publisher Sierra Club. Year 1984 ISBN 0-87156-825-X Description Very readable, giving lots of information on the uses of bamboos, both temperate and tropical. ]. Commonly cultivated for its edible shoots in China[ 25 Title Bamboos. Publication Author Lawson. Publisher Faber Year 1968 ISBN - Description Fairly comprehensive, it was once the standard work but is now rather dated. Deals with species hardy in Britain, giving cultivation details and some uses. , 162 Title Ornamental Grasses. Publication Author Grounds. R. Publisher Christopher Helm Year 1989 ISBN 0-7470-1219-9 Description Cultivation details of many of the grasses and bamboos. Well illustrated. ], where it is considered to have the sweetest taste of the genus[ 25 Title Bamboos. Publication Author Lawson. Publisher Faber Year 1968 ISBN - Description Fairly comprehensive, it was once the standard work but is now rather dated. Deals with species hardy in Britain, giving cultivation details and some uses. ], the plant also supplies material for craftwork, construction etc. It is commonly grown as an ornamental in gardens, valued especially for its golden foliage and the irregularly shortened and swollen internodes in the lower part of the culms[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ]. Phyllostachys aurea has been widely grown as an ornamental in many countries around the world - it is now showing itself to be a highly invasive plant that is especially problematic in Australia and North America, but is also causing problems in countries and regions such as the Mediterranean, New Zealand, the Philippines and Indonesia[ 305 Title Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk Publication Author Website http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands. ]. The plant rapidly forms a dense monoculture, suffocating other native plants and altering the entire ecosystem. As well as having detrimental effects on the environment, this bamboo may also damage property and pose as a potential health threat from its harbouring of a fungus responsible for the Histoplasmosis disease. Invasive bamboos are among the fastest growing plants on Earth and in warmer climates one infestation of Phyllostachys aurea can spread as far as 15 kilometres. The spread is rapid in all directions, increasing each successive year. The plant rarely produces seed, so most naturalization will be through this vegetative spread of the rhizomes[ 305 Title Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk Publication Author Website http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands. , 1093. When grown as an ornamental, surplus rhizomes are often dug out and disposed of - if these are just dumped then they ill often continue to grow and will spread into the local environment[ K Title Plants for a Future Author Ken Fern Description Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips. ].