桂竹亦称斑竹、五月竹、麦黄竹、小麦竹，因在麦共同时成竹，故有是名。《宣统湖北通志》：桂竹作圭竹，谓之贵竹。《竹谱》作桂竹，谓高四五丈，大二尺围，状如甘竹而皮赤。《诸官故事》云：梁元帝竹林堂亭前有竹，名桂竹，来风防露，上下合流，每日出罗纨翠，望若花开。因杆箨上有褐色斑点，故又名斑竹。

    秆环隆起而使竹秆各节有明显的2环，新秆绿色，常无粉，老秆深绿色；箨鞘黄褐色底密被黑紫色斑点或斑块，常疏生直立短硬毛。小枝具叶3～6。秆质坚硬，有弹性，为重要材用竹种，亦可劈篾编物，用途颇广。



    Phyllostachys Bambusoides are also called Spotted Bamboos for there are brown spots covering them, May Bamboo, Wheat-yellow Bamboo or Wheat Bamboo because it gets mature almost at the same time with wheat. The characteristics of this kind of bamboo are as following: their stem rings are outstanding; new born bamboos are green without powder, while old ones are deep-green; yellow-brown sheaths of bamboo shoots are covered with black-purplish spots or lumps which always have short and hard hairs; each branch has 3 to 6 leaves; the bamboo stalks are very hard and elastic; it is an important breed used as fuel as well as used to weave things.