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Useful Tropical Plants

Gigantochloa thoi

K.M.Wong

Poaceae


This species has been confused in the past with Gigantochloa levis (Blanco) Merrill[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
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Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
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Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

+ Synonyms

Common Name:

No Image.

General Information

Gigantochloa thoi is an evergreen, perennial, clump-forming bamboo that can grow 10 - 16 metres tall. The thin-walled, erect, woody culm can be 90 - 120mm in diameter with internodes 35 - 45cm long.
Relished as a delicacy, the young shoots are commonly harvested for mainly local use as a food. They are sometimes sold in local markets[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. The plants are often grown in and around villages[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

Not known in the wild, it probably originated in the region of Myanmar and Thailand.

Habitat

Not known

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Bamboo
Height13.00 m
PollinatorsWind
Cultivation StatusCultivated

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist, tropical lowlands[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Young shoots mainly develop during the rainy season[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Bamboos have an interesting method of growth. Each plant produces a number of new stems annually - these stems grow to their maximum height in their first year of growth, subsequent growth in the stem being limited to the production of new side branches and leaves. In the case of some mature tropical species the new stem could be as much as 30 metres tall, with daily increases in height of 30cm or more during their peak growth time. This makes them some of the fastest-growing species in the world[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Bamboos in general are usually monocarpic, living for many years before flowering, then flowering and seeding profusely for a period of 1 - 3 years before usually dying. Bamboos in general are usually monocarpic, living for many years before flowering, then flowering and seeding profusely for a period of 1 - 3 years before usually dying. This pattern can vary - sometimes flowering is sporadic, with plants flowering annually and not dying; at other times it is gregarious with all the plants in a specific species coming into flower at the same time. Flowering occurs in just a few culms in the clump, or can sometimes involve an entire clump. Reproductive culms senesce after flowering but regeneration from rhizomes in clumps that have senesced is possible. Flowering extends over many months in a fertile clump, but no seed has been found thus far[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Edible Uses

Young shoots cooked[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. Relished as a vegetable-delicacy[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

Although the culms are large and strong, they are not taken for any industry, probably because culms from adequately abundant wild populations of two other Gigantochloa bamboos, Gigantochloa scortechinii Gamble and Gigantochloa wrayi Gamble, are available, whereas Gigantochloa thoii has not yet been planted as such a resource[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Rhizome cuttings (offsets).
Culm cuttings.
Cultivated clumps from which new shoots are frequently removed for food develop rooted rhizome-like swellings at branch bases. Such 'aerial rhizomes' may be useful as vegetative planting material[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Gigantochloa+thoi>

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