''Phyllostachys'' () is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of Asian

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...

in the

grass family Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns and ...

. Many of the species are found in central and southern

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, with a few species in northern

Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...

and in the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

. Some of the species have become naturalized in parts of Asia, Australia, the Americas, and southern Europe.Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 163 刚竹属 gang zhu shu ''Phyllostachys'' Siebold & Zuccarini, Abh. Math.-Phys. Cl. Königl. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. 3: 745. 1843.
/ref> The stem or culm has a prominent groove, called a sulcus, that runs along the length of each segment (or internode). Because of this, it is one of the most easily identifiable genera of bamboo. Most of the species spread aggressively by underground rhizomes. Being pioneer plants, phyllostachys species will not spread quickly or achieve mature height without access to direct sunlight throughout most of the day. Some species of ''Phyllostachys'' grow to 100 ft (30 m) tall in optimum conditions. Some of the larger species, sometimes known as "timber bamboo", are used as construction timber and for making

furniture Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (tables), storing items, eating and/or working with an item, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Fu ...

. Several species are cultivated as ornamental plants, though they can become invasive and troublesome in gardens, unless artificially restricted or grown in containers. The name ''Phyllostachys'' means "leaf spike" and refers to the

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

Taxonomy

;Species ;Formerly included species now considered better suited to other genera: ''

Bambusa ''Bambusa'' is a large genus of clumping bamboos. Most species of ''Bambusa'' are rather large, with numerous branches emerging from the nodes, and one or two much larger than the rest. The branches can be as long as 11 m (35 ft). The ...

Chimonobambusa ''Chimonobambusa'' is a genus of East Asian bamboo in the grass family. They are native to China, Japan, Vietnam, Myanmar, and the Himalayas. ;Species ;formerly included see ''Ampelocalamus Bambusa Chimonocalamus Drepanostachyum Himalayaca ...

Pseudosasa ''Pseudosasa'' is a genus of East Asian bamboo in the grass family. These species are small to medium running plants, usually with one branch at a node. Its name comes from its resemblance to the genus '' Sasa''. The species are native to China, ...

Semiarundinaria ''Semiarundinaria'' is a genus of East Asian bamboo in the grass family. ''Semiarundinaria'' is native to temperate and subtropical woodland in China and Japan. The plants are generally rhizomatous, tall and erect bamboos with cylindrical st ...

Shibataea ''Shibataea'' is a genus of Chinese bamboos in the grass family. They are unique shorter bamboos with dark green leaves. This genus is more closely related to the genus ''Phyllostachys'' than other small bamboos. Excellent as tall groundcover or ...

Ecology

Fungi and pathogens growing specifically on ''Phyllostachys'' have ''phyllostachydis'' or ''phyllostachydicola'' species epithets.

Regulations

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

property owners are

liable In law, liable means "responsible or answerable in law; legally obligated". Legal liability concerns both civil law and criminal law and can arise from various areas of law, such as contracts, torts, taxes, or fines given by government agencie ...

for the cost of removing ''Phyllostachys'' bamboo that grows onto neighboring property, any resulting damages, and fines of $100 per day for growing this bamboo within 40 ft of any adjoining property or public way.

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

has regulations listing'' P. aurea'' and '' P. aureosulcata'' as prohibited invasive species.

References

* Zheng-ping Wang & Chris Stapleto
Flora of China, Volume 22: Poaceae., Science Press u. a., Beijing u. a. 20

External links

* * http://delta-intkey.com/grass/www/phyllost.htm {{Taxonbar, from=Q132640 Bambusoideae genera Grasses of Asia Garden plants of Asia Taxa named by Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini