Phyllostachys bissetii McClure, Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Similar to Phyllostachys heteroclada in appearance, but upper part of the internodes of young culms sparsely-erect-hairy; the base of sheath blades distinctly narrower than sheath ligules.

"Phyllostachys heteroclada Oliver: "Culms 1 to 4 m tall, 1 to 2.5 cm in diameter on lower culm; upper culm slender; green, turning to yellowish-green in the second year; glabrous.  Young culms sparse-pruinose, glabrate later.  Nodal ridges slightly more swollen than sheath scars.  Intranodes 5 mm wide.  Branches spreading.  Culm sheaths green, glabrous, except ciliate, cilia white or pale yellow.  Sheath ligules short, yellowish-green or purplish red.  Sheath blades triangular to triangular-lanceolate, green, erect, appressed to the culm.  Leaves 1 to 3 on twigs.  Leaf sheath glabrous, but oral cillia long, fugacious.  Leaf blades oblong-lanceolate, 7 to 10 cm long, 1.3 to 1.6 cm wide, of thin texture, hairy on the base beneath, with transverse veinlets"  (Dajun & Shao-Jin, 1987; p. 63).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  "Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge. The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure" (Plants for a Future).

Propagation:  Rhizomes, discarded cuttings.

Native range:  China (Zhejaing and Sichuan Provinces) (Dajun & Shao-Jin, 1987; p. 63).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 8)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island		Sykes, Bill (year unknown)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)

Comments:  A very aggressive running bamboo that has already spread widely on Mangaia, Cook Islands (Space & Flynn, 2002; p. 8).

Control: 

Chemical: Probably similar to control for P. nigra: "Plant is sensitive to hexazinone and imazapyr and moderately sensitive to glyphosate. Foliar application difficult on tall plants. Most effective treatment requires mechanical clearing followed by herbicide treatment of re-sprouts. J. De Frank (Univ. Hawaii) recommended glyphosate plus fluazifop or imazapyr. Basal stem application of imazapyr looks promising" (Motooka et al., 2002).

Additional information:
Additional information at the Environment Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, web site of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
Information from the publication "Nonnative invasive plants of Southern forests: A field guide for identification and control".

Additional online information about Phyllostachys bissetii is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Phyllostachys bissetii as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Phyllostachys bissetii may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Miller, James H. 2003. Nonnative invasive plants of Southern forests: A field guide for identification and control. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-62. 93 p.

Motooka, Philip/Ching, Lincoln/Nagai, Guy. 2002. Herbicidal Weed Control Methods for Pasture and Natural Areas of Hawaii. Cooperative Extension Service, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawai‘i. CTAHR free publication WC-8.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2002. Report to the Government of the Cook Islands on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 146 pp.

Sykes, Bill. 0. Bill Sykes, pers. com.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2009. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wang Dajun/Shen Shao-Jin. 1987. Bamboos of China. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon.