Fargesia denudata  T. P. Yi, J. Bamboo Res. 4(1): 20. 1985

 Synonym: Thamnocalamus denudatus (T.P.Yi) Demoly

Rhizome neck 4–13 cm long, 7–10 mm in diam. Culms 2–4 m, 6–10 mm in diam., dense, very pendulous; internodes 15–18 cm, cylindrical, smooth, initially white-powdery, wall 2–3 mm thick; nodes nearly level, sheath scar prominent; branches 7–15(-30), equal, slender. Culm sheaths deciduous, distally rounded, leathery, yellow-green to brown, ca. 2/3 as long as internodes, glabrous; auricles & oral setae absent; ligule ca. 0.7 mm, truncate, glabrous, shortly ciliate; blade linear or linear-triangular, revolute, glabrous. Leaves 5–10 per ultimate branch, insertion often repeated; sheath glabrous; auricles & oral setae absent; ligule rounded, 1-2 mm, glabrous; blade lanceolate, 7–11 × 0.4–1cm, papery, adaxial glossy, mildly rugose, base asymmetrically cuneate, glabrous, secondary veins 3–4-paired, margins distinct and spinescent-serrulate, transverse veins clear. Synflorescence a raceme, subtended by 1–4 purple spathes; spikelets 5–10, 1.5–2.5 cm, unilateral, rachilla internodes 0.5–1 mm; florets 2–4. Glumes 2, papery, unequal, narrowly lanceolate, apex abaxially puberulous; lemma ovate-lanceolate, puberulous, apex mucronate to long-mucronate. Palea 2-keeled, apically bifid, keels serrulate. Lodicules 3, ovate. Stamens 3; filaments free, slender; anthers yellow. Ovary ovate, glabrous; style 1; stigmas 3, plumose. Caryopsis ovate. Name from the Latin denudatus, ‘naked’ for the lack of any hairs or setae.

A handsome pendulous bamboo with dense cascading masses of shiny, uneven leaves, which tolerate very low temperatures by rolling up.

 F. denudata was first introduced as 2 seedlings from near Huanglong in N Sichuan by Roy Lancaster as #1575 in 1986. Later introductions have been made from the same location and sites further east.