Hollow bamboo
Cephalostachyum capitatum

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

A bamboo. It grows 13-15 m high. The culms are 2-5 cm across. The internodes are 25-40 cm long. It is green but becomes yellow with age. The leaves are 9-30 cm long and 5-11 mm wide. The flowering shoots are in a round brownish head. The seeds are brown and shiny.

There are about 11 Cephalostachyum species.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in the eastern Himalayas and in Tibet. It grows between 1,900-3,000 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Sikkim

How it is used for food

The young shoot are eaten. They are boiled and prepared along with chilli fermented fish, potato and pea.

They are eaten locally. It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Seeds, shoots, cereal

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Gobia, Gope bans, Gopi, Naatwa, Nagatheo, Nat, Nhu, Payong, Rawnal, Sillea, Silli, Tama bans, Ternap

Synonyms

Bambusa capitata Wall. & Griff. [Invalid]; Cephalostachyum capitatum var. decompositum Gamble; Schizostachyum capitatum (Munro) R. B. Majumbar [Illegitimate]; Schizostachyum capitatum var. decompositum (Gamble) R. B. Majumbar & Kartick; Schizostachyum munroi S. Kumar & P. Singh; Schizostachyum munroi var. decompositum (Gamble) S. Kumar & P. Singh;