Arundinaria alpina K. Schum.[1] Sinarundinaria alpina (K. Schum.) C.S.Chao & Renvoize Arundinaria fischeri K.Schum. Arundinaria tolange K.Schum. Oxytenanthera ruwensorensis Chiov.[2] Yushania alpinia (
K. Schum.)
W.C.Lin
Oldeania alpina, the African alpine bamboo,[1] is a
perennial[3]bamboo of the family
Poaceae and the genus Oldeania.[1] It can be found growing in dense but not large stands[4] on the mountains and volcanoes surrounding the
East African Rift[1] between 2,500 meters (8,200 feet)[4] and 3,300 meters (11,000 feet) elevation.[5]
Description
Stems and leaves
200 – 1,950 centimeters (6 – 64 feet) tall and 5 – 12.5 centimeters (2 – 5 inches) in diameter;[3] these grass stems get used as fencing,[4] plumbing and other building materials.[6] Culm sheaths (tubular coverings) are hairless or with red bristles.[3]
Leaf sheath is covered with bristles. Leaf blades are "deciduous at the
ligule"; blades 5 – 20 centimeters (2 – 8 inches) long.[3]
Flowers
Branched cluster of flowers in solitary spikes, which can be dense or loose and are 5–15 centimeters (2–6 inches) long.[3]
Roots
Short rhizomes described as pachymorph[3] (a term which is recommended for describing rhizomes which are
sympodial or superposed in such a way as to imitate a simple axis, but the word pachymorph would not be used for describing branches or in the case of bamboos,
culms).[7]