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Phyllostachys edulis

Moso Bamboo · Tortoise Shell Bamboo

Family PoaceaeGenus Phyllostachys

A grove of tall gray-green bamboo culms ringed at each node, running up out of ferns into a canopy of light green leaves.
The whole plantKamakuraCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
bambooPlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Graminoid, ShrubPLANTS Database
Native range
China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, TaiwanGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Moso bamboo grows up to 28 m tall and is the species most used to make bamboo rayon. It flowers only every half century or so, and sporadically rather than all at once. Wikipedia: Phyllostachys edulis

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 8, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 28 days to germinate.

60% germination in 14–28 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Phyllostachys p. 55Public domain
Show the original text
Phyllostachys (Poaceae). P. pubescens (a bamboo) germ. 70D(50% in 1-4 w), 70L(60% in 2-4 w), and 40-70D(none). Seeds DS 1 y germ. the same in 70D, but seeds DS 2 y were dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Phyllostachys p. 55. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 8, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 28 days to germinate.

50% germination in 7–28 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Phyllostachys p. 55Public domain
Show the original text
Phyllostachys (Poaceae). P. pubescens (a bamboo) germ. 70D(50% in 1-4 w), 70L(60% in 2-4 w), and 40-70D(none). Seeds DS 1 y germ. the same in 70D, but seeds DS 2 y were dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Phyllostachys p. 55. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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