Striped Bamboo

Date collected: April 18, 2011

Location: Collected from the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles
 

Nativity: Not native to California (Native to Tropical Asia)

Scientific name: Bambusa vulgaris 'Vittata'

Other names: Striped Bamboo, Painted Bamboo, Hawaiian Golden Bamboo
Habitat: This bamboo plant originated in the humid tropics of Asia. They like a norm temperature of above 18°C and frequent precipitation. 

Special notes: Striped Bamboo has a striated appearance to it, hence its name. This bamboo, like many other species, dies after flowering. It only flowers once in its lifetime and it is unpredictable; the flowering span in bamboo could be anywhere between 10 and 120 years. The flowers do not have petals and rely on the wind to transport the seeds to another place. Mass flowerings of bamboo in the past have led to some in animal species that depend on them for food. This type of bamboo was used by Asian people to make baskets.

Sources:

Caldwellhort.com
Guadua Bamboo
Flowering of Bamboos
Bamboo Information
USDA: Natural Resources Conservation Service