White bamboo
Dendrocalamus membranaceus

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

A bamboo which forms an open clump. The culm or stem is very straight. It grows 20-24 m high. It is 6-10 cm across. It has a white powdery covering over it when young. It turns green on maturity. The internodes are 22-38 cm long. The lower node has aerial roots. There are branches from the nodes. The culm sheath is 30-50 cm long by 12-20 cm wide. The leaf blade is sword shaped and 12-25 cm long by 1.5-2.5 cm wide. It is thin and pale. It tapers to the tip. The flowering stalks are on leafless branches.

There are about 29 Dendrocalamus species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in tropical mixed deciduous and monsoon forest. It grows below 1,000 m altitude. The minimum temperature is 14.5°C and average maximum is 33.3°C. The average rainfall is 950 mm. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, SE Asia, Thailand, USA, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The shoots are eaten. They can be cooked and dried and preserved.

It is a cultivated food plant. It is sold in local markets.

Edible parts

Shoots

How it is grown

It can be grown from seed or by cuttings of the rhizome or culm. Fresh seed germinate readily.

The average fresh weight of young shoots is 1167 g and the edible portion is 40%.

Its other names

Local names

A ha a bi, Aowang, Cha chu, Hok haix, Hmyin-phyu, Hyyin-wa, Hmyinwa-aphyu, Hmyin-wa-gyi, Lao gang, Maisang, Mai ya, Phai-nuan, Phai-sangdoi, Phai-sangnuan, Rusey srok, S'ang, Wamu, Wapyu, Waya

Synonyms

Bambusa membranacea (Munro) Stapleton & N.H. Xia; Dendrocalamus longifimbriatus Gamble; Oxytenanthera lacei Gamble; Sinocalamus longifimbriatus (Gamble) T, Q Nguyen;