桂竹亦稱斑竹、五月竹、麥黃竹、小麥竹，因在麥共同時成竹，故有是名。《宣統湖北通志》：桂竹作圭竹，謂之貴竹。《竹譜》作桂竹，謂高四五丈，大二尺圍，狀如甘竹而皮赤。《諸官故事》云：梁元帝竹林堂亭前有竹，名桂竹，來風防露，上下合流，每日出羅紈翠，望若花開。因桿籜上有褐色斑點，故又名斑竹。

    稈環隆起而使竹稈各節有明顯的2環，新稈綠色，常無粉，老稈深綠色；籜鞘黃褐色底密被黑紫色斑點或斑塊，常疏生直立短硬毛。小枝具葉3～6。稈質堅硬，有彈性，為重要材用竹種，亦可劈篾編物，用途頗廣。



    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.