Bambusa polymorpha Munro

Culms 15–20 m, 7–15 cm in diam., apically nodding; internodes gray-green, 40–65 cm, initially with white powdery chaff; wall thick; nodes slightly prominent, several basal nodes with rings of aerial roots; branching only from mid-culm up. Branches many, clustered, arched, slender. Culm sheaths quite persistent, short, broad, leathery, rigid, densely pale brown or silky white hairy, apex curved-truncate; auricles subequal, not slanted downward, projecting up or down, falcate, broadly belt-shaped, 7–8 × 2.5–3 cm, strongly wrinkled; oral setae dense, 1–1.5 cm, thick, scabrous; ligule 7–8 mm, shortly fimbriate; blade erect, nearly symmetrical, broadly lanceolate, base slightly narrowed and joined to auricles for ca. 2.5 cm, ca. 1/3 width of sheath apex, abaxially brown silky hairy, apex acute, sharply tipped. Leaf blade linear to narrowly lanceolate, 15–20 × 0.9–1.5 cm, both surfaces initially pubescent, later adaxially hairy near base and abaxially along midrib. Pseudospikelets embraced by sheathlike bracts; bracts terete, 1–1.5 cm, glossy; florets 2 or 3, apical one sterile; rachilla segments flat, glabrous. Glumes 3, ovate, apex mucronate; lemma ovate, many veined, apex mucronate; palea lanceolate, about as long as or slightly longer than lemma, keels glabrous, apex acute; lodicules 3, posterior 1 smaller, suborbicular, 3–5-veined, margins ciliolate. Anthers purple, apex obtuse, sometimes finely tipped. Ovary ovoid, apex hairy; style short; stigmas 3, white hairy. Caryopsis obovoid, unilaterally compressed, ca. 5 mm, apex hairy, with persistent style base.

Abundant throughout the more humid types of mixed deciduous forest, particularly on the lower slopes and in well-drained valleys. It flourishes best and reaches its largest dimensions on deep fertile loams.

The shoots are eaten but are bitter.

It can be grown from seed but also from cuttings of the rhizome, branches or culms. Germination from seed is about 40%. Seedlings are planted in a nursery and transplanted when 30-50 cm tall. Rhizome cuttings should be taken from 2 year old clumps. Cuttings of culms should be from 2 year old stems.