Marble sheath bamboo, Winter shooting bamboo
Chimonobambusa marmorea

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

A bushy bamboo. It grows 2-3 m high. The stems are slender and black. They are 1-2 cm across. The young shoots are creamy purple. The leaves are 6-15 cm long by 8-12 mm wide. They do not have hairs.

There are about 10-40 Chimonobambusa species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It needs to be in moist soil. It can tolerate temperatures down to -9°C. It grows in hills and low mountains between 200-1,500 m above sea level in central China. It suits hardiness zones 7-10.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, China, Europe, Indonesia, Japan (country/location of origin), SE Asia

How it is used for food

The young shoots are eaten.

It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Seeds, stem, cereal, shoots

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by division.

Its other names

Local names

Bambu kelereng, Han zhu, Kan-chiku, Marbled bamboo

Synonyms

Arundinaria marmorea (Mitford) Makino; Chimonobambusa gracillima Makino; Arundinaria nana Makino; Arundinaria matsumurae Hackel; Bambos kantsik Siebold; Phyllostachys reticulata (Mitford) Ascherson & Graebner; Bambusa marmorea Mitford;