I was viewing a DVD (many thanks to Bob Clune, Houston, Texas, USA) of Susan Ruskin of Quindembo giving her presentation of landscaping with bamboo at the ABS Conference in Hawaii 2006
Susan did show a picture of Bambusa textilis 'Fasca', which they had formerly been calling Bambusa mutabilis. She indicated there was a general agreement that the plant, which they had been calling B. mutabilis, was really Bambusa textilis 'Fasca'. [
The general agreement must have been among those in Hawaii since I have not heard that name, or a similiar name, used in many years on the mainland-Roy]
In her slide presentation, she showed a bamboo which she listed by the name of Bambusa texilis (Weaver's bamboo). She said that this was the same bamboo that had been growing in Southern California for many years. Susan said that B. textilis was one of their first bamboos and that it was still one of her favorites. [
Upon first listening to the DVD, I thought she said she had gotten her B. textilis from California, but upon reviewing the DVD again, she did not indicate where she got her first start of B. textilis--Roy]
Susan said that in Florida, B. texitilis is referred to as Wong Chuk or Kana..?? and then someone off camera said "Kanapaha" [
I think it was Robert Saporito--Roy]. My impression is that Susan was making no distinction between Bambusa textilis and Bambusa textilis 'Kanapaha'.
She said that if you were planting B. texitlis 'Fasca' next to B. texitlis [
she refers to her bamboo as B. textilis and not B. textilis 'Kanapaha--which one does she have? I don't know. See size remarks below--Roy] you might see a difference in the two, but if not, the one would be hard pressed to see a difference. [
She did not explain what she saw as the difference or that she saw a difference--Roy]
Susan said that at her nursery, her B. textilis gets to be around 35 feet. About 5 miles away, where there is more rainfall, about 52 inches per year, it might get to 55 feet. [
there was no mention of diameter size of culms--Roy]
As most of the time happens, new information leads to a better understanding of information on hand, but it also leads to other questions.
1..Is Quindembo's B. textilis the same as B. textilis 'Kanapaha'?
2..Is B. mutabilis really B. tex. 'Fasca'?
3..Is B. mutabilis' name in the ABS Source List going to change to B. t. 'Fasca?
4..My original question: What's the difference between B. mutabilis (a.k.a. in Hawaii as B. tex. 'Fasca') and B. textilis 'Kanapaha'?
Hooray for Bob Clune, Houston, Texas, USA