An experienced bamboo friend collected this plant at the Byron USDA site, it was growing outside of any 'established' grove and is of unknown ID. He watched it for a few years and sent me one I've been container growing for 2 years before planting last month. He has no idea what it is nor do I, he has eliminated every guess I've come up with as his is much more mature and more telling. He says it is not an aurea, not a vivax, not a viridis, not an aureosulcata, and I do not recall asking him about bambusoides. He says it is extremely vigorous, shoots lots and sizes up quickly.

The real confusing thing is that as you can see in my photo the new culms are yellow with a green sulcus and some variegated leaves. In a few weeks it will turn totally green with no yellow left over Never seen any other bamboo do this. Last time I checked with him he said his best guess is a form of Praecox - any experience with something looking like this anybody? Also note the heavy cream striping on the shoot leaf, initially the shoot looked like the Phy iridescens David recently brought me as the color was reddish/brown and long blade tips but quickly started showing the creamy striping.

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Brad Salmon, zone 5b/6 Southern Indiana
Winters -20 to -25C. Summers 30 to 35C , humid. 115 cm annual precipitation, frost free from May through early October. 259.3 meters elevation. Growing 150+ species. http://www.needmorebamboo.com/

Brad,
My guess would be a hybrid seeding. With all the bamboo flowering in the last few years and the very close quarters of the bamboo area at Byron I think it could be a real possibility.

No experience with disappearing yellow color bamboo.

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David Arnold
Middle Tennessee Bamboo Farm
USDA zone 6b/7a

That's really interesting!

Would Byron have record of which bamboos were flowering in the years prior to this acquisition?

I doubt it. The plants were moved there when the Savannah ARS closed, and as I understand the situation their care is unfunded. Had it not been for the dedication of Melanie Harrison-Dunn, and Mike Hotchkiss I doubt they would have survived until now.

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David Arnold
Middle Tennessee Bamboo Farm
USDA zone 6b/7a

The new culms really look like Robert Young except RY comes up green and then turns yellow. The striping on some has the green paint 'runs' look like RY stripes. I noticed that all of the culm leaves on yellow culm bamboos here have that same strong cream striping as these do. The seedling idea makes sense, mine is still to young to even take a real guess what the cross could be.

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Brad Salmon, zone 5b/6 Southern Indiana
Winters -20 to -25C. Summers 30 to 35C , humid. 115 cm annual precipitation, frost free from May through early October. 259.3 meters elevation. Growing 150+ species. http://www.needmorebamboo.com/