Male Bamboo. Calcutta Stricta or Bamboo
Dendrocalamus strictus

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

Dendrocalamus strictus is an evergreen Bamboo growing to 15 m (49ft) by 3 m (9ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9. The flowers are pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Height (m): 15

Where it is found

Drier open deciduous forests in hill slopes, ravines and alluvial plains.

E. Asia - Pakistan, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, 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, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, USA, Vietnam, West Africa, Zimbabwe

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Young stems - cooked as a vegetable. The stems are 6 - 10cm in diameter. Seed.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicine

Rating: 1

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

Other

Rating: 3

Agroforestry Uses: The plant is suitable for the reclamation of ravine land. Other Uses: The stems are used for a wide range of purposes - scaffolding, bridges, poles, agricultural implements and other large bamboo implements. They are also split and used to make other items such as walking sticks, furniture and baskets. The stems are extensively used as a raw material in paper mills. Harvesting may start 3 - 4 years after a clump has begun to produce culms of maximum size. Only culms older than 3 years are harvestable and harvesting should never be done during the growing season. It is recommended to cut the culms lower than 30cm above the ground level, but not below the 2nd node. Debris and cut branches should always be removed completely.

Basketry: Plant used in making baskets and other items such as chairs. Includes plants that are only used as an ornamental addition.

Biomass: Provides a large quantity of plant material that can be converted into fuel etc.

Furniture: A few miscellaneous uses that do not fit easily into other headings.

Paper: Related to the entry for Fibre, these plants have been specifically mentioned for paper making.

Soil stabilization: Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Industrial Crop: Biomass: Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels

Management: Managed Multistem: Regularly removing some multiple stems. A non-A non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.

Other Systems: Multistrata: Multistrata agroforests feature multiple layers of trees often with herbaceous perennials, annual crops, and livestock.

Other Systems: Strip intercrop: Tree crops grown in rows with alternating annual crops.

Industrial Crop: Biomass: Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels

Management: Managed Multistem: Regularly removing some multiple stems. A non-A non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.

Other Systems: Multistrata: Multistrata agroforests feature multiple layers of trees often with herbaceous perennials, annual crops, and livestock.

Other Systems: Strip intercrop: Tree crops grown in rows with alternating annual crops.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

Succeeds in tropical and subtropical areas. The plant is widely adaptable to temperatures, tolerating occasional frosts with temperatures as low as -5c and summer heat as high as 45c. It occurs naturally in tracts receiving as low as 750 mm of rainfall a year, but can also tolerate as much as 4,000mm. Succeeds in full sun and in light shade. Prefers well-drained, poor, coarse, grained and stony soils. Succeeds on practically all types of soils provided there is good drainage. It does not grow on water-logged or heavy soils such as pure clay or a mixture of clay and lime. Well-drained localities with sandy loam are the best for bamboo growth. Prefers a pH in the range 4.5 - 5.5, tolerating 4 - 6.5. Established plants are drought tolerant. 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 new rhizomes of seedlings first bend downwards before curving upwards to form their aerial shoots - thus successive shoots are not only larger than the preceding ones but also arise from rhizomes that are deeper in the soil. Early shoots are thin, wiry and grass-like, but as the clump develops the new shoots become progressively more woody and larger. A clump is considered mature when it starts producing full-sized culms - in nature this can take 11-13 years, though in cultivation it can be as little as 6 years. A mature clump grows in all directions, provided there are no obstructions (e.g. rocks or hard soil layers) until a balance is reached between the formation of new culms and the dying off of old culms. The ratio of new to old culms in a clump is usually 1:5. Young shoots usually arise in the rainy season. Given sufficient rainfall, as many as 20 new culms may be produced annually from fair-sized clumps. A mature clump contains on average 20 - 40 culms, but up to 200 are possible. Individual culms are considered mature when they are 3 years old but they can live for up to 15 years. 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. With this species, the gregarious flowering cycle varies from 25 - 65 years. This does not mean that all the clumps will flower at the same time. The gregarious flowering commences with intensive sporadic flowering for 2 - 3 years, increasing progressively and resulting in the flowering of all the clumps in a period of five years. Sporadic flowering is seen almost every year.

Propagating it: Seed - many, if not all, members of this genus have a short viability and should be sown within 2 - 3 months of harvest. Sow in containers in a lightly shaded position and only just cover. Germination usually takes place readily. Prick out into individual pots as soon as the plants are large enough to handle. Plant out into permanent positions when 20cm tall. Plants may remain in their low-growing juvenile state for several years - cutting the culms to the ground level can stimulate taller adult growth. Rhizome, culm and branch cuttings. The propagules are raised in the nursery and after they have produced roots they are planted out in the field before or during the first half of the rainy season.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Bamboo

Hardiness: 9-12

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

An-kuang, Bambu besi, Bambu batu, Bans Ka Ban, Bans kaban, Bans khurd, Bhariyel, Bidiru, Biru mad, Buloh batu, Calcutta bamboo, Hmyin-wa, Kal, Kalmungil, Karai bans, Karail, Kavil, Kiri bidiru, Lathi bans, Manwal, Mungil, Myinwa, Nakor vans, Nakur bans, Narbans, Phai-sang, Phai sang dam, S'ang, Sadanapa veduru, Salia bhanso, Salimbo bhanso, Solid bamboo, Vansha, Veduru

Synonyms

Arundo hexandra Roxb. ex Munro Bambos stricta Roxb. Bambusa glomerata Royle ex Munro Bambusa hexandra Roxb. ex Munro Bambusa pubescens Lodd. ex Lindl. Bambusa stricta (Roxb.) Roxb. Bambusa tanaea Buch.-Ham. ex Wall. Bambusa verticillata Rottler ex Munro Dendrocalamus prainiana Varmah & Bahadur Nastus strictus (Roxb.) Sm.