BAMBOOS OF INDI A

Bambusa
➤B. bambos var. gigantea - A clump
brown, truncate at tip; ligule minutely dentate.
Inflorescence with spicate branches, bearing heads of
few spikelets. Glumes 2, mucronate. Spikelets upto 2.5
cm long, many-flowered; fertile flowers 5-6; lemma
ovate, mucronate, many-nerved; palea ovate, elliptic,
2-keeled, ciliate on the keels, 4-5-veined. Sterile flowers
1 or 2. Lodicules 3, 5-6-nerved. Anthers apiculate. Ovary
with short style and stigmas 3, pubescent. Caryopsis
5-8 mm long, hairy on the tip.
pix-3 ss
Chromosome number 2n = 70, aneuploid (Sobita Devi
and Sharma, 1993).
FLOWERING
The flowering of this bamboo was reported in the year
1890 from Katha District of Myanmar (Gamble, 1896).
DISTRIBUTION
The species occurs in North Cachar Hills of Assam, Myanmar and Malaysia. It is grown in the bambusetum of Forest
Research Institute, Dehra Dun, Indian Botanic Garden, Calcutta and Van Vigyan Kendra, Chessa (Arunachal Pradesh).
ANATOMY
Leaf epidermal stomata arranged in two bands in 1-3 or 1-4 alternating rows; subsidiary cells high-domed to triangular,
surrounded by 4-6 globose papillae. Long cells long and narrow with uniform width, papillae conspicuous. Interstomatal
cell shorter and broader than the long cells, end concave, walls sinuous and straight, papillae distinct. Short cells
solitary and paired, costal and intercostal. Cork cells costal not distinct, intercostal distinct. Silica cells costal, common;
intercostal frequent. Silica bodies, costal, saddle-shaped, intercostal dumb-bell to ‘8’-shaped. Prickles frequent, intercostal,
base round with small pointed apex. Microhairs common, intercostal, bicelled, apical and basal cells equal, apex tapering.
Macrohairs common, costal and intercostal, long to medium, unicellular, base raised, not surrounded by papillae (Luxmi
Chauhan et al., 1989).
CHEMISTRY
Studies on peroxidases-isoenzymes showed seven bands, two dark bands in the zone of low mobility, four medium
intense bands and one band in the zone of highest mobility. Hence this species is not recommended for grouping along
with other species of Bambusa (Lalitha Kumari et al., 1985).
SILVICULTURE
Observations on growth of new shoots show that growth is continued during the following year also when the monsoon
stops early in the previous year (Trevor, 1927).
48