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Useful Tropical Plants

Schizostachyum lima

(Blanco) Merr.

Poaceae

+ Synonyms

Arundarbor lima (Blanco) Kuntze

Bambusa lima Blanco

Schizostachyum hallieri Gamble

Schizostachyum stenocladum A.Camus

Common Name:

Schizostachyum lima
Drawing of the leaves and flowers (Fig B only)
Photograph by: Camus, E.G., Les bambuse?es, Atlas, vol. 2: t. 97, fig. B (1913)
Creative Commons License

General Information

Schizostachyum lima is an evergreen bamboo, forming a dense clump of culms 8 - 13 metres tall from short, woody rhizomes. The erect stems are pendulous at the tip, the thin-walled culms can be 30 - 40cm in diameter, with internodes around 100cm long[
861
Title
Industrial Fiber Plants of the Philippines
Publication
Philippine Bureau of Education, Bulletin No. 49
Author
Muller T.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Philippine Bureau of Education; Manila.
Year
1913
ISBN
 
Description
An early guide to the fibre-producing plants of the Philippines.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of food and materials. Both the plant and its products are widely traded in local markets, and the planty is often cultivated in New Guinea[
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

Southeast Asia - Indonesia, Philippines to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

Habitat

Forest, forest margins, along rivers or river banks, or spontaneously on roadsides, wasteland or near villages; at elevations up to 700 metres[
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.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Bamboo
Height10.00 m
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details


Requires relatively moist soil conditions[
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.
].
Hardly any information is available on the growth and development of this plant. Three-year-old clumps contain on average 150 culms. Culms have their maximum diameter 2 metres above ground level[
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.
The sporadic flowering of this species occurs regularly, but gregarious flowering has never been reported[
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 and eaten as a vegetable[
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.
,
701
Title
Asean Tropical Plant Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://211.114.21.20/tropicalplant/index.jsp
Publisher
 
Year
 
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details, with photos, of many of the plants growing in the tropical forests of southeast Asia. Gives some details of plant uses along with a description of the plant and its range.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The culm has a rough surface, which is used for smoothing bronze[
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 culms are used as a construction material for housing; they are flattened to use as flooring; they are used to make musical instruments, fishing rods, rice-winnowing baskets, bobbins for weaving looms etc. The culms are split to make material for weaving into bamboo mattings (known as 'sawali') and other woven wares[
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.
,
861
Title
Industrial Fiber Plants of the Philippines
Publication
Philippine Bureau of Education, Bulletin No. 49
Author
Muller T.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Philippine Bureau of Education; Manila.
Year
1913
ISBN
 
Description
An early guide to the fibre-producing plants of the Philippines.
]. It is reported that this bamboo must be boiled before it can be used for making fans, cushions, and hats[
861
Title
Industrial Fiber Plants of the Philippines
Publication
Philippine Bureau of Education, Bulletin No. 49
Author
Muller T.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Philippine Bureau of Education; Manila.
Year
1913
ISBN
 
Description
An early guide to the fibre-producing plants of the Philippines.
]. The long internodes are often used as containers for items such as molasses and tobacco - these are often carved with a beautiful low relief. In New Guinea the culms are often used as walls, sometimes after being flattened and woven into sheets, and also for bow strings[
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.
,
861
Title
Industrial Fiber Plants of the Philippines
Publication
Philippine Bureau of Education, Bulletin No. 49
Author
Muller T.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Philippine Bureau of Education; Manila.
Year
1913
ISBN
 
Description
An early guide to the fibre-producing plants of the Philippines.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Schizostachyum+lima>

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