Lowland bamboo, Savannah bamboo, Wine bamboo
Oxytenanthera abyssinica

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

A bamboo or grass. It grows 10-15 m high. It grows in dense clumps. The stem is solid. It is 8-10 cm wide at the base. It arches slightly at the tips. The sheaths are covered with short dark brown bristly hairs. These can be rubbed off. (They irritate the hands). The leaves are bluish green and narrowly sword shaped. They are 5-25 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. They taper to a spine tipped point. The flowers occur in 1-4 flowered spikes. The upper flowers are of both sexes. The lower flowers are sterile. The grains narrowly taper to both ends. After flowering the clump dies back to re-shoot from the base.

Presumably Oxytenathera braunii now Oxytenanthera abyssinica.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in dense clumps on dry hillsides in Africa. It will re-grow after fires. It usually grows in high rainfall areas at low altitudes. In Zimbabwe it grows up to 1,160 m above sea level. It grows below 2,100 m above sea level. It is cultivated between 1,500 to 2,400 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, India, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The seeds are used as a rice substitute. The young shoots are eaten. They can be boiled, steamed, smoked, dried, or salted. The shoots can be burnt and the ash used as a vegetable salt. Sap from the stem can be drunk. It is also used to produce a fermented wine.

It is cultivated in the highlands of Tanzania.

Edible parts

Seeds, young shoots, cereal, sap, manna, vegetable, used for wine

How it is grown

It can be grown by division of the roots. It can be cut back and will re-grow.

It grows quickly.

Its other names

Local names

Bambor, Bambu, Bindura bamboo, Budjama, Cana-bambu, Canguera, Djama, Djambarlam-o, Djambarlam, E-ot, Ecula, Edjo, Enta, Kamalea, Kitindi, Liulawe, Lulasi, Malea, Mlazi, Mulanzi, Musyombe, N'djama, Najane, Nsungwi, Quebe, Quene, Soha, Sorgue, Sua, Teman, Udjame, West African bamboo, Woody bamboo-grass

Synonyms

Oxytenanthera braunii Pilg.; Bambusa abyssinica A. Rich.; Bambusa schimperiana Steud.; Houzeaubambus borzei (Mattei) Mattei; Oxytenanthera borzii Mattei; Oxytenanthera macrothyrsus K. Schum.;