Phyllostachys edulis, moso bamboo, or tortoise-shell bamboo, or mao zhu , (Japanese モウソウチク（孟宗竹）) is a temperate species of giant timber bamboo native to China and Taiwan and naturalised elsewhere. The edulis part of the Latin name is a reference to the fact that it produces edible shoots. This bamboo can reach heights of up to . This particular species of bamboo is the most common species used in the bamboo textile industry of China. Its physical properties boast an average breaking tenacity more than three times that of cotton, wool, rayon, or polyester.