Totally confused - Phyllostachys vivax sports.

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Cactus Joe
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Totally confused - Phyllostachys vivax sports.

Post by Cactus Joe »

I have a two year old Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureucaulis'. When I bought it, the nursery owner said that if I am "lucky", I might end up with three different varieties of bamboo, as 'Aureucaulis' has commonly been reported to revert to plain P vivax and to P vivax 'Huangwenzhu'.

I pretend, to this day, to have understood what he said. But, in fact, I am totally confused. Which is the chicken, which is the egg?

Here is my humble understanding of the situation:
1. Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureucaulis' is a sport of plain P vivax
2. P vivax 'Huangwenzhu' is, in turn, a sport of P vivax 'Aureucaulis'.

If the latter is true, wouldn't it be more accurate to say the P vivax 'Aureucaulis' commonly sports to P vivax 'Huangwenzhu', rather than "revert"? Perhaps, the source I got the information from got it in the wrong sequence in the first place. And where does P vivax 'Huangwenzhu Inversa' fit in the scheme of things?

I hope to get educated by the knowledgeable bamboophiles on this forum. Thanks in advance.
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Jeff: Igor's Apprentice
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RE: Totally confused - Phyllostachys vivax sports.

Post by Jeff: Igor's Apprentice »

I don't know if you posted this in response to the post:

http://www.bambooweb.info/bb/viewtopic.php?t=506

or if its merely coincidental and you haven't seen it, but as I proposed there it seems that 'Huangwenzhu' should be considered a cultivariant of 'Aureocaulis' rather than a cultivar in the normal sense of the word if it is a common occurrence, particularly if growers are "getting lucky" and selling clones from separate spontaneous sporting events under the same name.
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RE: Totally confused - Phyllostachys vivax sports.

Post by Cactus Joe »

I went and read that thread, but it didn't seem to make this numb skull of mine any wiser. Which sported first, 'Aurecaulis' or 'Huangwenzhu'? Or simultaneously? (I am trying to understand the concept of cultivariant.) Where did 'Huangwenzhu Inversa' sport from?
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RE: Totally confused - Phyllostachys vivax sports.

Post by Jeff: Igor's Apprentice »

There are gray areas here and you are smart, not "numb" for noticing them. The word "cultivar" usually refers to a single clone arising from a singular sexual or sporting event and then being asexually propagated again and again. To say that the cultivar 'Aureocaulis' sports again and again into the cultivar 'Huangwenzhu; does justice by the word "sport", but compromises the standard understanding of the word "cultivar". "Cultivariant" in my opinion is the best candidate to replace cultivar in this circumstance, but its not something set in stone.

The conifer world has the distinction of making this distinction, in part.
There are several conifer varieties sold under the name 'prostrata'. Many would consider them cultivars but they are, in fact, a product of a cuttings being taken from a side shoot of other cultivars or maybe even multiple straight specimens. Some conifers are peculiar in that if you take a side shoot cutting, the resulting plant will never form an upright leader, but will lay on the ground.

I don't know anything about 'Huangwenzhu Inversa'. Is it distinguishable from 'Aureocaulis'?
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RE: Totally confused - Phyllostachys vivax sports.

Post by Cactus Joe »

Thanks, Hoe, for having patience with me. (I meant to say that I actually felt "stupid", and that would be the truth.) Anyway, your analogy to conifers actually made things quite clear for me. One more bit of data to file away in my brain vault.

I am not sure that HWZ Inversa is the same as Aureucaulis. I see all three listed for sale in some of the on line catalogues. Which is why it's additionally confusing.
Markj
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RE: Totally confused - Phyllostachys vivax sports.

Post by Markj »

Over here they tend to be called 'mutations' or forms rather than new cultivars and there are four Vivax forms available.

Ph. Vivax- green

Ph. Vivax f. huanvenzhu - Differs from the orignal form in the yellow sulcus of its internode

Ph. Vivax f. aureocaulis - yellow, with green striae, a mutation from huanvenzhu found around 1980 in China, a lot of plants seem to be reverting to the previous form(here).

Ph. Vivax f. huanvenzhu inversa- New mutaion only recently found, yellow like aureocaulis but with the sulcus green.

I've a pic somewhere previously posted of the inversa form, I'll try and dig it out, it's a stunning plant.
Bamboo...Please note... This plant is seriously addictive and you may lose interest in other, less rewarding plants!
Markj
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RE: Totally confused - Phyllostachys vivax sports.

Post by Markj »

Image
Bamboo...Please note... This plant is seriously addictive and you may lose interest in other, less rewarding plants!
Markj
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RE: Totally confused - Phyllostachys vivax sports.

Post by Markj »

At first glance it just looks like a castilions or green grove but it's way more vigorous than those and you get the nice drooping foliage of vivax.

ps, sorry about the multiple posts but this spell checker won't allow me to submit straight away, can it be disabled :?:
Bamboo...Please note... This plant is seriously addictive and you may lose interest in other, less rewarding plants!
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