BAMBOOS OF INDI A

Bambusa
NATURAL DURABILITY AND PRESERVATION
General preservative treatment used for bamboos can be adopted for this species (Kumar et al., 1994). In addition to
the traditional method of adjusting cutting season (for regulation of starch) and immersion in mud ponds, many
chemical treatments especially copper based preservatives are effective. Preservatives can be given by dipping the cut
ends in solutions for two to three days and allowing the excess solution to drip under gravity. It is better to leave the
branches and leaves as such in order to accelerate the process of absorption of preservatives (Jayanetti, 1975). A field
experiment of chemical treatment showed that the use of 10 per cent copper sulphate solution (butt end immersed in
chemical solution for seven days) can extend service life considerably. For bamboos stored without ground contact,
boric acid is better (Gnanaharan, 1991).
USES
Important use of this bamboo is as a raw material for pulp, paper and panel products. Other uses include scaffoldings,
rafters, thatching and roofing, basket making, bows and arrows, furniture, floating timber and rafting, cooking utensils
and fencing. Shoots and seeds are edible. The leaves are used as fodder and medicine.
Bambusa bambos var. gigantea
Bambusa bambos var. gigantea Bennet and Gaur. Thirty Seven Bamboos Growing in India: 21. 1990; Tewari,
Monogr. Bamboo 36. 1992. (Fig. 7).
Bambusa arundinacea var. gigantea Bahadur and Jain. Indian J. For. 4: 283. 1981.
DESCRIPTION
A densely tufted bamboo. Culms light green, large, usually about 20-35 m high and 15-25 cm in diameter. Nodes
swollen, internodes 27-35 cm long, thick walled; branches developing from the fifth node onwards. The branches arise
from the nodal line, the girdles becoming prominent; generally 3 branches arise from a node of which two become
prominent, angled upwards. Culm-sheaths usually 25-40 cm long and 30-50 cm broad, coriaceous, tip rounded, margin
plated, pubescent with dark brown hairs, deciduous at the time of branch development; ligule continues with the
sheath apex, margin fringed with cilia; auricle short, blade up to 12 cm long, adaxial surface with dense dark brown
hairs, velvety, base cordate, tip acute. Leaves lanceolate to linear, highly variable in size, 10-30 cm long and 1.5-4 cm
broad acute, margin scabrous; leaf-sheath ligulate, pubescent.
This variety is the giant type of B. bambos. Bahadur and Jain (1981) mentioned that this rare variety is represented in
the bambusetum of Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun and differs from the typical form. The general appearance of
the young shoots of this variety was quite distinct from the typical Bambusa bambos (see page 48 for photograph of
B. bambos var. gigantea).
FLOWERING
Flowered in 1984 in the bambusetum of Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun and subsequently died in 1985 (Bennet
and Gaur, 1990).
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