Umbrella-handle bamboo, Monastery-bamboo
Thyrsostachys siamensis

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

A bamboo. It forms tufts. The stems are erect or can bend over at the tip. They grow 8-14 m tall and are 2-8 cm across. They are smooth and greyish-green. It is 15-30 cm between the joints or nodes. The leaf blades are narrowly sword shaped and 7-14 cm long by 5-8 mm wide. The flowers are at the ends of the stems.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. In southern China it grows in river valleys and hilly forested areas between 500-1,000 m above sea level. In the Cairns Botanical Gardens. In XTBG Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, SE Asia, Singapore, Thailand

How it is used for food

The shoots are cooked and eaten. They are also dried and stored.

It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Shoots

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds or rhizomes.

A shoot weighs between 0.1-0.5 kg.

Its other names

Local names

Bambu jepang, Bambu siam, Htiyo-wa, Kyaung wa, Maihuo, Normai huak, Phai huak, Phai ruak, Tam vong rung, Thai bamboo, Thailand bamboo, Tiyowa

Synonyms

Bambusa regia; Thyrostachys regia (Munro) Bennet;