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Forest Flora
of Hyderabad State - by M Sharfuddin Khan
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Botanical Name - Bambuseae ----- Bambuseae. F.B.I. V. 7. P. 367 ----- Gregarious perennial grasses, with a woody root-stock or rhizome, from which are produced annually a large number of more or less closely packed woody stems (culms). Culms jointed, usually erect, rarely climbing, internodes hollow; voting shoots soft but with the full diameter growth of the culm, inclosed in large generally coriaceous sheaths arising from the nodes, and which are strictly alternate, often hairy, and as a rule terminating in a more or less imperfect blade; buds in the axils of the sheaths, developed when the culmreaches its full length, in the upper portion into leaf-bearing woody branches, and in the lower, either do not develop at all or very sparingly, or they grow into half-whorls of branches, or into short, stiff, sometimes spinescent branches, leafless or with only a few leaves. Leaves distichous, consisting of a tubular shaeth split to the base and a linaer-oblong or lanceolate blade with a mid-rib and numerous longitudinal veins, generally 5-9 thin, between 2 stout nerves, and transverse veins crossing from one longitudinal nerve to the next, straight, oblique, or with a bend in the middle, in some species conspicuous, especially in dry leaves; blade joinedto the sheath by a short petiole, underside with numerous solid protuberances or hairs, usually soft and thick-walled, in some species soft and long; inner edge of leaf as a rule a colourless band fringed with longer or shorter thick-walled sharply-pointed hairs, outer edge often rough on the upper side with lines of short rigid hairs along the outermost veins. Flowers mostly bisexual, in distichous spikelets usually arranged in large panicles. Spikelets of a number of distichous bracts (or glumes), the lower and sometimesthe upper empty. Fig.glume bearing in its axil palea, a membranous usually transparent bract, which has its back adpressed to the axis of the spikelet and, except when terminal is 2-keeled as a rule and strongly ciliate along the keels. Ovary 1-celled 2 or 3 linear, plumoe stigmas, surrounded by 3 or 6, rarely more stamens. and in most genera by 2 or 3 membranous, often ciliate scales (lodicules). Anthers 2-celled, cells parallel, contiguous, opening longitudinally. Fruit in some genera with a thick more or less fleshy, but more usually thin crustaceous or membranous per carp (caryopsis), seed as a rule with a large mealy endosperm. ----- The young shoots of Bamboos grow with great rapidity usually attaining their full length in less than a month. As the internodes lengthen out telescopically and the nodes separate, the green surface of the internodes appears between the sheaths, which usually are yellow or brown often producing a remarkable contrast. The general appearances, length texture and shape of these sheaths and their blade afford good character for distinguishing the different species. In many species the internode while young are covered with minute silky hairs. At the nodes two rings may generally be distinguished, the lower is the scar of the culm-sheath, while the upper ring corresponds to the node itself. Above the lower ring is the axillary bud, and in the lower portion of the culm not unfrequently a ring of rootlets. The rootlets as well as the branches when they develop before the culm-sheaths have fallen, pierce through the sheath as its base. These rootlets rarely rerach the ground and often become hard and spinescent. ----- In regard to their habit of flowering, Bamboos may be divided into three great classes. First, those which flower annually or nearly so, the flower-panicle terminating leaf-bearing culms. In these cases the plant does not die after flowering. Second, those which flower gregarioisly and periodically, all culms of one clump and all clumps is one district flowering simultaneously. The leaves fall and the whole culm is one large one flowering panicle. In these cases the culms die after ripening their seed and usually the under ground rhizome also dies. The area over which these species flower simultaneously is circumscribed. In different districts they flower at different times. Instance: BAMBUSA ARUNDINACEA. Irregularly flowering species. One or a few culms in one clump or a few clumps in one locality, are in flower at any one time, while at outer times all culmps in one clump and all clumps in one district are simultaneously covered with flowers. Instance: DENDROCALAMUS STRICTUS. ----- It should here be mentioned that offsets taken from a clump some time before it flowers come into flower at the same time as the parent clump. There are indications that in dry stony places and in exceptionally dry seasons Bamboos flower earlier and more abundantly. (Brandis, in " Indian Trees. ") ----- The cultivation of bamboos is easy; it is done by seed or by offsets, in some cases by cuttings or layers. If the seed is good it germinates easily and seedlings are easy to rear the easy to transplant in properly prepared ground; but seeding years are scarce, it is necessary to wait for seed and therefore proagation by offsets is quicker, In the case of those species which flower and seed both generally at long intervals, and occasionally sporadically, such as DENDROCALAMUS STRICTUS, the sporadic flowerings give very little, if any, fertile seed so that it is necessary to wait for general flowerings with the rest. Offsets consist usually of a portion of an old culm with its roots, cut off above a joint at about 1-2 ft. above the ground, and these shoots come from dormant buds at the base of the culm. Such offset are best taken and planted in the season of rest, so that the season of active vegetation which usually begins in the early days of the rains, may find them well in position and capable of taking root well. Offsets taken in the rainy season after new growth has started usually fail. Cuttings are usually made by planting one or more internodes the lowest bearing root-buds capable of growing ; while layers, the more usual method of propagation with some species, (e.g., BAMBUSA VULGARIS), are made by partly cutting and laying a culm in the ground, so that it may take root at the nodes. When the shoots have appeared and are strong-growing, the internodes are cut and the layers planted separately. A bamboo plantation succeeds best where moderate shade is available. In the cabvity of the joints of some species of Bamboo, especially BAMBUSA ARUNDINACEA, is found a white silicious substance known as Tabasheer. It is used in China and elsewhere as a medicine. (Gamble "Manual of Indian Timbers.")
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