This is a common bamboo of cool temperate areas, extending down to 2,500m in wet gullies. It also reaches the subalpine level at 3,500m, and it often forms large areas of grazing land. It is usually found on gently sloping wet areas, rather than steep slopes. It is usually heavily browsed and also often burnt, so that it is commonly less than 1m tall, with balls of short branches at each node and leaves of less than 3cm. The culms can be up to 3m tall and 1.5cm in diameter, with leaves of up to 10cm, when protected from grazing. This species can be distinguished from other Yushania species and from Sarocalamus racemosus by the transparent bands along leaf edges, which are especially thick along one edge. The new culms
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