Tufted bamboo
Dendrocalamus hamiltonii

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

A bamboo. It grows to 25 m tall. It forms dense thickets. The stems are 7-12 cm across. The stems are curved downwards and the nodes are marked with root scars. The internodes are 20-40 cm long. The stem sheath is triangular. The leaves are narrow and sword shaped. They have small teeth along the edge. The leaves are rough underneath. The leaf sheaths have stiff hairs. The flower is reddish brown. The fruit is a grain which is oval and beaked. It flowers both annually and gregariously after 30 years.

There are about 29 Dendrocalamus species.

Where it is found

A tropical and subtropical plant. It grows in Nepal between 500-2000 m altitude. It grows up to 900 m altitude in Uttar Pradesh in India. In Sikkim it grows between 700-4,000 m above sea level. In XTBG Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Sikkim, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

Young shoots are cooked as a vegetable. They are also used in curry and pickles. The parts near the base are washed, boiled and cooked as a vegetable. The shoots are fermented and used to flavour meat.

The shoots are sold in markets. It is a popular bamboo shoot. It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Shoots

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed or by splitting the rhizome. It can also be grown by cuttings of the stems.

Its other names

Local names

Ae, Banh, Bans, Choya bans, Ea, Eppo, Gonam, Gova, Hamilton dendrocalamus, Kaghsi bans, Kaipho, Kokua, Kokwa, Kongha, Lao gang, Mai bo, Maiwan, Pa, Pao, Pashing, Pecha, Peidiau, Petcha, Phai hok, Phai nuan yai, Phai phiao, Phul-rua, Ramkaha, Rhino bamboo, Ri dhu, Schee, Seij-lai, Tama seto, Tama, Tama bans, Tamo, Unap, Wabo-myetsangye, Wah, Wah mi, Wanap, Wa'nok, Wo chi, Yaqiu

Synonyms

Sinocalamus hamiltonii (Nees & Arn. ex Munro) T. Q. Nguyen;