Dendrocalamus latiflorus

An evergreen bamboo reaching 20 m tall with a 10 m spread, growing at a fast rate. Hardy to UK zone 10, flowers are wind-pollinated. Adapts to light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage across mildly acidic to mildly alkaline pH ranges. Requires full sun and prefers moist soil. Mature culms are erect with pendulous tips, 14–25 m tall, 8–20 cm diameter at base, with walls 5–30 mm thick and internodes 20–70 cm long.

Description

A tufted bamboo plant. It grows 20-50 m tall. The stems are long and bend. They are 10-30 cm across. The segments are 45-60 cm apart. The leaves are 6-15 cm long and 3-5 cm wide. The flowers are small. They are 12-15 mm across. They are feathery and red or purple in colour.

Edible Uses

The young stems of this bamboo are eaten raw or cooked and are notably free of any unpleasant taste even when eaten raw — a quality considered unusual among bamboo shoots. They are regarded as delicious and are also shredded and dried for use in Chinese-style snacks in Japan. Stems can reach 15–30 cm in diameter. Young shoots are harvested 7–25 days after emergence, when they are 35–60 cm tall, and harvesting can begin from the 2nd year of growth of a clump. Before eating or canning, harvested shoots are steamed, cut lengthwise, cleaned, and sterilized for 15 minutes in pure or salted boiling water. When boiled in pure water, a white compound containing 90% tyrosine typically precipitates; this can be removed by boiling for 1.5 hours in a 0.06–0.07% citric acid solution followed by 12 hours of washing. For fermented dry shoots, the middle portions are boiled, left to ferment for 2–4 weeks, then sliced into pieces of 4–5 cm × 2.8 mm. In the Philippines, harvested culms are either dried directly in sun or shade, or first kept in running water for several weeks before being air dried.

Traditional Uses

The shoots are eaten cooked or canned. They are also shredded and dried. They are also fermented. The shoots are eaten raw. They are also shredded and dried and used in snacks.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Distribution

It is cultivated. It occurs in subtropical conditions. It grows up to 1,000 m altitude in Taiwan. It can tolerate temperatures to -4°C. It can also grow in the lowland tropics. It does best on moist fertile soil. Alkaline or acid soils are not suitable for shoots. Melbourne Botanical Gardens. In XTBG Yunnan. In Sichuan.

Where It Grows

Asia, Australia, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Northeastern India, Pacific, Philippines, SE Asia, Taiwan, Thailand, USA, Vietnam,

Cultivation

Succeeds in subtropical conditions, as well as in lowland to moderate elevations in the tropics. It is found at elevations up to 1,000 metres in Taiwan, where it can tolerate temperatures as low as -4°c. It prefers areas of high rainfall. Grows best in moist, fertile soils. Heavy clay, gravel alkaline or acidic soils are not suitable for the production of edible shoots. Vegetatively propagated plants can develop within 3 years into clumps with 20 - 25 culms, on average 5 - 6 metres tall and 3 - 4cm in diameter. Five year old plants can have a culm height in the region of 15 metres with a diameter of 7cm. A 1 - 2 year-old culm can produce 5 - 10 shoots weighing 3 - 5 kg. Average young shoot production per clump increases in the first 5 years after planting from 30 kg in the 2nd year to 60 kg in the 3rd year to 80 kg in the 4th year, to a maximum of about 100 kg in the 5th year. Bamboos have an interesting method of growth. Each plant produces a number of new stems annually - these stems grow to their maximum height in their first year of growth, subsequent growth in the stem being limited to the production of new side branches and leaves. In the case of some mature tropical species the new stem could be as much as 30 metres tall, with daily increases in height of 30cm or more during their peak growth time. This makes them some of the fastest-growing species in the world. The plant is used in breeding programmes to develop hybrid cultivars that grow fast and provide quality construction material with wide adaptability and high economic value, or to provide better tasting shoots. Bamboos in general are usually monocarpic, living for many years before flowering, then flowering and seeding profusely for a period of 1 - 3 years before usually dying. Flowering is rare in Taiwan; though sporadic flowering and fruiting is a normal occurrence in the Philippines, Indonesia and China.

Propagation

Sow seed in containers, barely covering them. Germination is generally reliable, with around 90% germination within 2 weeks. Prick seedlings out into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle, and plant out into permanent positions when 20 cm tall. Plants may remain in a low-growing juvenile state for several years — cutting culms to ground level can encourage taller adult growth. Seed loses viability quickly. Because seed is often scarce, vegetative propagation is the standard method. Preferred cuttings are taken from 2-year-old culms, are 50 cm long with 2 nodes, and planted horizontally 6–10 cm deep. Rooted cuttings are best transplanted during the rainy season when 2 years old.

Other Uses

The leaves are used for making hats and boat roofs, and as packing material. The culm grows erect with a pendulous tip, reaching 14–25 metres tall, 8–20 cm in diameter at the base, with walls 5–30 mm thick and internodes 20–70 cm long. Mature culms serve as water pipes, small fishing rafts for use in streams, woven baskets, and are used in house construction and paper pulp production. Culm harvesting may begin when clumps are 3–7 years old. To maintain sustainable yields, only over-mature culms and a limited number of mature ones should be taken at any one time, and the total harvested should not exceed 60% of standing mature culms.

Production

A 1-2 year old culm can produce 5-10 shoots. These weigh 3-5 kg.

Other Information

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. The shoots are an important vegetable. It is grown in large quantities in Taiwan and China. They are canned and exported.

Notes

It is also used in medicine. There are about 29 Dendrocalamus species.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Bambu taiwan, Big jute bamboo, Gomi, Hava, Kaha, Ma bamboo, Machiku, Ma-chu, Maribob, Wa-bo, Wa-ni

References (25)

• Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 46 (As Sinocalamus latiflorus)
• Anderson, E. F., 1993, Plants and people of the Golden Triangle. Dioscorides Press. p 209
• Arora, R. K., 2014, Diversity in Underutilized Plant Species - An Asia-Pacific Perspective. Bioversity International. p 40
• Dransfield, S. & Widjaja, EA., 1995, Plant Resources of South East Asia. PROSEA No. 7 Bamboos. Leiden. p 21
• Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 46 (As Sinocalamus latiflorus)

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