Common Name:

General Information

Schizostachyum glaucifolium is an evergreen, clump-forming bamboo with woody culms 3 - 15 metres long[]. The thin-walled culms can be 35 - 60mm in diameter[].
The plant stems have been very important sources of materials in the Pacific, used in a wide range of applications and commonly harvested from the wild for local use. The plant also has a range of traditional medicinal uses. It is, however, widely being replaced in importance in the area by the larger, recently introduced Bambusa vulgaris[]. Schizostachyum glaucifolium is an exceptionally beautiful plant that features greenish-yellow culms with darker green stripe, it is often grown as an ornamental in the tropics[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

South Pacific - French Polynesia, American Samoa, Fiji.

Habitat

Moderately common along the banks of rivers and streams, in thickets on hillsides, and in comparatively undisturbed forest; at elevations from near sea level to more than 900 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Bamboo
Height	10.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

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[].
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.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The powdered culms are mixed with water and consumed as a treatment for a sharp pain in the stomach and pain associated with profuse sweating[].
The ashes of the culms, combined with powdered Cyperus javanicus and Diospyros spp., as well as the sap of green kukui fruits (Aleurites moluccana) and ripe papaya (Carica papaya), is applied topically as a treatment for festering raw sores[].

Other Uses

The long, hollow culms have a wide range of applications, being used for purposes such as construction, house walling, rafters, battens for affixing thatch, shelving and scaffolding, fencing etc; and they are also used to make water containers, fishing poles, knives, and musical instruments such as the nose flute[, , ].

Propagation

Seed -

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