Dendrocalamus strictus

Dendrocalamus strictus is a bamboo species belonging to the Dendrocalamus genus. The culms (stems) are often solid. Common names include male bamboo, solid bamboo, and Calcutta bamboo.

Description

A bamboo. It is densely tufted. In moist areas it keeps its leaves and in dry areas it loses them. It grows about 8-16 m high. The stems are 4-10 cm across. They are often curved. The nodes are swollen. The lower nodes often root. The internodes are 30-45 cm long. The stem sheath is hairless. The leaves are narrowly sword shaped. It is 25 cm long by 3 cm wide. They have fine hairs on both surfaces. The flowers are brown in round heads. The fruit is a grain.

Edible Uses

Young stems are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The stems are 6–10 cm in diameter. The seed is also edible.

Traditional Uses

Young shoots are cooked as a vegetable or pickled. They are cut into pieces and boiled then cooked with rice. The seeds are also roasted and eaten. There is also an edible manna that develops on this plant. The roots are pounded into a powder.

Medicinal Uses

A decoction of the leaves, nodes, and siliceous matter is used in traditional medicine.

Distribution

A tropical plant. t grows in tropical and subtropical places. The best annual temperature is between 20-30°C. It can stand temperatures down to -5°C and up to 45°C. A rainfall between 1000-3000 mm is best. It can tolerate drought and does best with lower humidity. It can grow up to 1,200 m altitude. It does best on sandy soils with a pH of 5.5-7.5. In the Cairns Botanical Gardens. I

Where It Grows

Africa, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Caribbean, Central America, China, Cuba, East Africa, Ghana, Guam, Himalayas, India*, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, NW India, Pacific, Pakistan, Philippines, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, USA, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seeds or by splitting the rhizome. It can also be grown with difficulty from culm or stem cuttings and by tissue culture. Seed need to be planted fresh. They lose their viability is 3 months. Seed once dried and stored in cool conditions can be kept for 3 years.

Propagation

Seed in this genus is generally short-lived and should be sown within 2–3 months of harvest. Sow in containers in a lightly shaded position, barely covering the seed. Germination usually takes place readily. 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 stimulate taller adult growth. Rhizome, culm, and branch cuttings can also be used. Propagules are raised in a nursery until rooted, then planted out in the field before or during the first half of the rainy season.

Other Uses

The plant is suitable for reclaiming ravine land. The stems are put to a wide range of uses including scaffolding, bridges, poles, agricultural implements, and other large bamboo structures. They are also split for making walking sticks, furniture, and baskets, and are extensively used as a raw material in paper mills. Culm harvesting may begin 3–4 years after a clump has started producing culms of maximum size. Only culms older than 3 years are suitable for harvest, and cutting should never take place during the growing season. Culms should be cut no lower than 30 cm above ground level and not below the 2nd node. Debris and cut branches must be removed completely after harvesting.

Production

They take 6-13 years to produce a mature clump. The new rhizomes bend downwards before curving up to produce new shoots. Clumps deepen and widen. Up to 20 new culms can be produced each year from a large clump. Up to 200 can be produced from very large clumps. Only a few culms may die after flowering and not the whole clump. The time till flowering can be 20-65 years.

Other Information

It is a cultivated food plant. Shoots are sold in markets.

Notes

There are about 29 Dendrocalamus species. Chemical composition 100 g edible portion. Shoots: Water 90 g, Protein 2.9 g, Fat 0.3 g, carbohydrate 2 g, fibre 1 g, ash 1 g, Ca 15 mg, Fe 0.6 mg, P 46 mg, Vit A 133 IU, Vit C 0.2 mg.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

An-kuang, Bambu besi, Bambu batu, Bans Ka Ban, Bans kaban, Bans khurd, Basa, Bhariyel, Bidiru, Bidiru kalale, Biru mad, Buloh batu, Calcutta bamboo, Delea bance, Heedi, Hmyin-wa, Iudo, Kal, Kali musali, Kalmungil, Karai bans, Karail, Kavil, Keltha, Kiri bidiru, Lathi bans, Manwal, Mungil, Myinwa, Nakor vans, Nakur bans, Narbans, Phai-sang, Phai sang dam, Ranj, S'ang, Sadanapa veduru, Salia bhanso, Salimbo bhanso, Solid bamboo, Tama bans, Vansha, Vans nibhaaji, Vaste, Veddur, Veduru, Velu

References (57)

• Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 42
• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 166
• Anderson, E. F., 1993, Plants and people of the Golden Triangle. Dioscorides Press. p 209
• Bandyopadhyay, S. et al, 2009, Wild edible plants of Koch Bihar district, West Bengal. Natural Products Radiance 8(1) 64-72
• Behera K. K., et al, 2008, Wild Edible Plants of Mayurbhanj District, Orissa, India. J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. Vol. 32 (Suppl.) pp 305-314

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