can you help id this bamboo?

[Eric]

I got a division of some moso a couple years ago, one main culm with some grassy growth at the base. It died back to the ground last winter, then last year the main culm that regrew looked totally different. There was, however, a much smaller culm beside it that I think was moso. This year I have an approximately 1" diameter, 8' tall new moso culm as well as some shoots that I think are coming from the other culm. Can anyone help me identify the other culm? Here are photos of last year's culm and one of this year's shoots. (I have one more photo of the base of the shoot, if that would be helpful, but I'm only allowed a max of three photos here.)

Thanks,
Eric

[Nicholas]

Hi,

the swollen internodes and green sulcus have me leaning towards phyllostachys aurea 'Koi'

[Eric]

Thanks, Nicholas! From a quick search it seems like a couple things I can look for to confirm that it's P. aurea 'Koi' is if the new culms start out green and turn yellow after a few months and if there are compressed nodes at the base.

Is the green turning to yellow pretty unique to P. aurea or do other species do that, too? I didn't notice that it was yellow when it first shed its culm sheaths last year, so that makes me think that maybe it did start out green, but I can't really say. It wasn't until I noticed the yellow that I even began to suspect that it wasn't moso. I'll definitely pay more attention this year.

How common are the compressed nodes at the base? They're not that way on every culm, are they? Are they just as common on small culms as in more mature groves?

[Nicholas]

How common are the compressed nodes at the base? They're not that way on every culm, are they? Are they just as common on small culms as in more mature groves?

The bigger the culms the more you'll see congestion and/or warped internodes.
If you look at the second and third picture you made you can already see that the internodes are swollen right below the next nodal ring.

Once the culms get larger you should start seeing more pronounced congestion on the lower internodes and irregularly long internodes if it is indeed aurea 'Koi'.

[Eric]

Thanks again, Nicholas.

Where are you in Austria, by the way? I spent an exchange year in Vienna and really enjoyed the people I met, the culture, the landscapes...

[Nicholas]

Thanks again, Nicholas.

Where are you in Austria, by the way? I spent an exchange year in Vienna and really enjoyed the people I met, the culture, the landscapes...

I live in Vienna but am from the eastern part (Burgenland) right near the Hungarian border.
My Bamboos are all there as the in-laws have a pretty big garden.

The area I am from is probably not how people would envision Austria as we are at the outreaches of the Pannonian Basin.
It is pretty flat with dry summers and not too cold winters. A lot of really good red wine is made there.

I've been meaning to start a thread with some pictures to show the progress my boos have made. I'll do that once I've taken some current pictures.

[Eric]

My roommate that year was from Krensdorf, and I visited his family once. Is that anywhere near where you're from? I also tried to bicycle around the Neusiedlersee once. I bicycled from Neusiedl counterclockwise, but the border crossing nearer the lake was closed for the season, and I had to bicycle way around closer to the bigger Hungarian city and only just made it back into Austria after dark. That's the limits of my firsthand knowledge of the Burgenland. I hope you will be able to post some photos.