Besides the peach fuzz on the surface of the one year old culms, moso also has only a single ridge at each node (all other Phyllostachys have two closely spaced ridges (nodal and sheath scar) at the node. If you can find some old culm sheaths still attached to the base of this year's culms, moso culm sheaths are covered with thick brown hair.

Thanks! That is a very important piece of information about the single ridge. I'm not home yet, but I think it is a single ridge.
I compared it to a giant root ball that I bought off ebay. At first I didn't believe it was moso as the seller said, but now that I have some whip shoots coming out and the single ridge information, I think they both are MOSO. That root ball came from S.C.
I'll go back and look for sheath. I was more interested in getting a couple of giant specimens dug out. I got one in a 24 inch box, that after topping 10+ feet off of it, it is still a few feet over my roof peak of my house. 25+ feet. The other has 2 canes also side by side but I cut it down to 10 feet and left the lower branches on.
I'll let you know what I find out. As Moso doesn't usually get very large around here. This grove, if it is may be one of the larger on the west coast. Looks like it's been there around 30 years based on what I know about the construction of the area. It's maybe in a questionable area for me to be aquiring. But it's not on anyones private property. (City or county) I'll post pictures in a day or 2. Works killing me now. Thanks for the information, very informative.

Pictures that may help. I don't think it's MOSO now.?
The branches have been trimmed about 4 feet on each side and trimmed up from the bottom. The succulus doesn't start till about 5 feet up. There is a ridge in the middle of the succulus.(Dark picture)
I can't quite determine if it has a single ridge or not, but I think 2. Thanks for the help.
The leaf picture size is deceptive, the leaf is only a little over 2 inches.
The full heigth picture shows the culms with about 4 feet on each side of the branches cut off and trimmed up from the bottom.
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL361/7580886/14362285/215191238.jpg
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL361/7580886/14362285/215191250.jpg
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL361/7580886/14362285/215191280.jpg
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL361/7580886/14362285/215191254.jpg
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL361/7580886/14362285/215191262.jpg

Looks like Henon, especially in the 3rd and 4th photos. The waxy coating on the culms is identical, and the leaves and growth habit also looks like Henon.

Kt

Thanks! That what I was thinking. It was the rough texture on the culms and the very small leave that had me thinking toward the moso.
But a good find! I have 2- 24" boxes with about 100+ lb root mass on the 2, 2culm ones I dug out and then a smaller about soccer ball size root ball in a 15 gallon. So far they look good.
I was going to buy some Henon this year and now I'm good +.
Thanks for all the help!

On a side note, I also have Bory growing along a creek here at my place, that I planted many years ago.

I was convinced that it was also Henon, and must have been sent to me in error. It has the same gray waxy coating, and is growing at the same rate and manner as my Henon. It was not until I dug some up and put it in a 25 gallon pot, that it finally began to show it's spots, but it still has some gray culms.

I don't know if this is characteristic of Bory, but it is something to keep in mind.

Henon is one of my favorites, and gets a lot of compliments about it's colour and small dark green leaves.

Kt

Moso is softly fuzzy, not scratchy like the others. The horizontal sprays of tiny leaves (on adult plants) is also distinctive. It looks like a giant asparagus fern, quite unique and special.

The culms also soon develop a weathered, aged appearance, adding to the mystique. It looks sort of like a bamboo redwood grove. The other large Phyllostachys seen in North American gardens look comparatively rubinesque, with their larger leaves and shiny culms. Commonly seen P. vivax is downright coarse.

Mis-spelled Rubenesque wasn't the right term. But you probably got it anyway.

This is a great forum! Thanks to everyone with the great information. Thhis has been so good that here comes another one to identify. I'll post under another topic
Thanks again!

Just something to add and maybe mike murietta can give input. I just bought a 45 gallon of Moso. It has the soft culms, tiny leaves and the sheaths have the fuzz and hairs. So it's moso, but this is the Scott's Valley CA clone. It may have different characteristic than the Anderson clone. But I do have the 2 ridge lines on this one. If you can clarify if the single ridge is only on larger culms, as this one has only upto 1 inch culms, but about 20 of them. They all have branches all the way to the bottom and that my be the reason for the double ridge.
Still??? I'll add some pictures later. I have checked lots of pictures and agree with the single ridge on large MOSO, especially the anderson clones I've seen. Thanks for help!

Small (1/4" to 1/2" dia) moso culms will often show a double ridge, but they lose this trait as they get larger (over 1" dia). It could be that your clone hangs on to this trait longer than the Anderson clone does.

I think you're correct here. As the 3/4 inch plus culms have almost no ridge I was inspecting closely, and looking at the culm sizes in comparison. Thanks again!