Maohua sour bamboo
Acidosasa purpurea

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.

There are about 8 Acidosasa species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China

How it is used for food

The shoots are edible but somewhat bitter.

Edible parts

Shoots

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Mao hua suan zhu

Synonyms

Acidosasa dayongensis T. P. Yi; Acidosasa hirtiflora Z. P. Wang & G. H. Ye; Indosasa purpurea Hsueh & T. P. Yi;