Cape Bamboo
Neololeba atra

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

A bamboo. It grows up to about 5 m tall and has canes about 3 cm across. There are several woody light coloured stems. It forms thick clumps which are hard to penetrate. The leaves are 20-50 cm long by 6-10 cm wide and rounded at the base. The leaves are light green. There are distinct hairs on the leaf sheath where the blade joins the stalk. The leaf sheath completely surrounds the stem. It flowers almost continually and doesn't die after flowering.

There are about 120 Bambusa species. They are tropical and subtropical in Asia.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows from sea level up to about 1250 m altitude in Papua New Guinea. Often the plant grows near watercourses that are flooded in wet seasons. It is very sensitive to cold.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Indonesia, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia

How it is used for food

The young shoots are harvested and cooked and treated like a pitpit.

It occurs fairly widely as a self sown plant and is a minor food in several areas. It is cultivated in gardens at Kutubu in Papua New Guinea.

Edible parts

Shoots, growing tip

How it is grown

It is planted from cuttings of the cane. They take a little over a year to become established and produce edible shoots. They also grow wild. To stop clumps spreading the rhizome below the ground level needs to be chopped through. Young plants are not easily transplanted. Rooted shoots near the base can be separated off and replanted.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Arundarbor atra (Lindl.) Kuntze; Bambusa atra Lindl.; Bambusa forbesii (Ridl.) Holttum; Bambusa lineata Munro; Dendrocalamus forbesii Ridl.; Dendrocalamus papuanus (Lauterb. & K. Schum.) Pilg.; and several others