Part 7 - UNC Herbarium

POACEAE 909
2 Culms smooth and shiny; [native on the Gulf Coast]....................................................... [Phr. australis var. berlandieri]
2 Culms ridged and not shiny; [introduced and weedy]............................................................. Phr. australis ssp. australis
Key 2
1 First glume 2.3-4.2 mm long; stems at base of plant in summer and late fall mostly tan-brown or yellow; [alien and weedy]..
........................................................................................................................................................Phr. australis var. australis
1 First glume 3.5-6.4 mm long; stems at base of plant in summer and late fall reddish-brown or reddish-purple; [native]...........
....................................................................................................................................................Phr. australis var. berlandieri
* Phragmites australis (Cavanilles) Trinius ex Steudel var. australis, Common Reed. Cp (GA, NC, SC, VA), Pd, Mt (NC,
VA): marshes, dredge-spoil deposit islands, ditches; common in outer Coastal Plain (rare elsewhere). September-October.
Nearly worldwide in distribution. Fox, Godfrey, & Blomquist (1950) report its first collection in NC (in 1948). In most of our
area, reed is of relatively recent introduction, reported from only nine counties in RAB, but now becoming a serious weed in
coastal areas, where it aggressively colonizes freshwater and brackish marshes, excluding the native species. [< Ph. australis –
C, FNA, GW, K; < Ph. communis Trinius – RAB, G, HC; = Ph. communis var. communis – F; < Ph. phragmites (Linnaeus)
Karsten – S]
Phragmites australis (Cavanilles) Trinius ex Steudel var. berlandieri (Fornier) C.F. Reed, North American Reed. Cp (VA):
freshwater marshes; rare. September-October. [< Ph. australis – C, FNA, GW, K; < Ph. communis Trinius – RAB, G, HC; =
Ph. communis var. berlandieri (Fournier) Fernald – F; < Ph. phragmites (Linnaeus) Karsten – S]
Phyllostachys Siebold & Zuccarini (Bamboo)
References: Duncan & Duncan [in prep.]=Z; Judziewicz et al. (2000)=Y. Key adapted from Z.
1 Internodes at the base of principal culms dissimilar in length, the lowermost internode 1-12 cm long, the next 3 internodes
distinctly longer, with nodal junctions mostly straight across..................................................................................... Ph. aurea
1 Internodes at the base of principal culms all similar in length, mostly 4-8 cm, with nodal junctions oblique.
2 Groove on internode (above the branch) yellowish-green, the rest of the culm dull greenish..................Ph. aureosulcata
2 Groove on internode (above the branch) the same color as the rest of the culm.
3 Internodes of principal culms densely velvety; outer surface of culm sheaths with abundant erect brown hairs;
lowest internode of principal culms ca. 5 cm long; culms pale green atfirst, becoming gray with accumulated waxy
powder in age..................................................................................................................................... Ph. heterocycla
3 Internodes of principal culms glabrous or slightly hairy; outer surface of culm sheaths lacking erect brown hairs;
lowest internode of principal culms ca. 8.5-12 cm long; culms various (see below, but not as decribed in first
lead).
4 Largest culms to 15 cm in diameter and 25 m tall; upper culm sheaths with auricles; outer surface of culm
sheaths usually with a green streak down the middle, flanked by streaks of purple and buff; culms medium to
dark glossy green at first (some cultivars golden yellow or yellow streaked), remaining so in age ....................
.................................................................................................................................................Ph. bambusoides
4 Largest culms to 3.2 (-4) cm in diameter and 10 m tall (rarely taller); upper culm sheaths with or without
auricles; outer surface of culm sheaths variously streaked, spotted, or mottled with brown or red (but not as
above); culms pale green to green at first, usually becoming purple spotted, gray, or yellow in age.
5 Lowest internode of principal culms ca. 8.5 cm long; culm sheaths with auricles, usually sparsely
pubescent with erect, pale hairs, usually pinkish-brown at maturity, marked with numerous brown spots
near the tip; culms green at first, usually becoming speckled and then more-or-less completely darkened
with purplish spots (remaining green in some cultivars) ..............................................................Ph. nigra
5 Lowest internode of principal culms ca. 12 cm long; culm sheaths lacking auricles, glabrous, usually
green to buff at maturity, striped and marginally bordered with red; culms pale green at first, becoming
gray to yellowish in age...............................................................................................Ph. rubromarginata
* Phyllostachys aurea Carrière ex A. & C. Rivière, Golden Bamboo, Fishpole Bamboo. Cp, Pd (NC, SC, VA): suburban
woodlands; uncommon, native of China and Japan. Not known to flower in our area. This is the usual large bamboo cultivated
and naturalizing in our area, forming dense stands, up to 15 m tall. [= RAB, K, Y, Z]
* Phyllostachys aureosulcata McClure, Yellowgroove Bamboo. Cp (SC), Pd (VA), {GA}: cultivated as an ornamental,
persistent or spreading from plantings; rare, native of China. [= K, Y, Z]
* Phyllostachys bambusoides Siebold & Zuccarini, Giant Timber Bamboo. Cp, Pd, Mt (NC, SC): cultivated as an
ornamental, persistent or spreading from plantings; rare, native of China. [= K, Y, Z]
* Phyllostachys heterocycla (Carrière) S. Matsum, Moso Bamboo. Cp (SC): cultivated as an ornamental, persistent or
spreading from plantings; rare, native of China. [= Y; ? Ph. edulis (Carrière) Houzeau de Lehaie – K; ? Ph. pubescens Mazel ex
Houzeau de Lehaie – Z]