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Useful Tropical Plants

Thyrsostachys siamensis

Gamble

Poaceae

+ Synonyms

Bambusa regia Thomson ex Munro

Bambusa siamensis Kurz ex Munro

Thyrsostachys regia (Thomson ex Munro) Bennet

Common Name: Monastery Bamboo

Thyrsostachys siamensis
Cultivated plant in Vietnam
Photograph by: Bùi Th?y ?ào Nguyên
Creative Commons License
Thyrsostachys siamensis Thyrsostachys siamensis Thyrsostachys siamensis

General Information

Monastery bamboo is a perennial, evergreen, clumping bamboo with short rhizomes. In seasonal climates the plant is deciduous in the dry 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.
]. The erect culms are 7 - 13 metres long; 20 - 60mm in diameter; with the thick-walled internodes 15 - 30cm long.
One of the most useful of bamboos within its native range, it is widely utilized locally as a source of food and construction materials and is also sold to factories[
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 plant is cultivated in several countries outside its native range in Asia. This species is one of the most beautiful ornamental bamboos in the tropics of SE Asia, long cultivated in SE China[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.

Range

E. Asia - southern China, Myanmar, Thailand.

Habitat

River valleys to hilly forested areas; at elevations from 500 - 1,000 metres in southern China[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
]. Dry or semi-evergreen forest on poor soils[
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, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist tropics where it is generally found at elevations from 300 - 400 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.
]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime annual temperatures are within the range 20 - 29°c, though it can tolerate 15 - 34°c[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall of 1,000 - 2,000mm, but tolerates 600 - 4,500mm[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. It is found in areas both with and without a distinct dry season[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
].
Succeeds in full sun and in light shade[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. Prefers a heavy soil[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. Often found in poor soils in the wild, though it can tolerate a range of soils if they are well drained[
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.
]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 6.5, tolerating 5.5 - 7[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
].
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.
].
In natural populations the plant produces young shoots during the rainy season. Good years, when many new shoots are produced, alternate with poor years with many fewer new shoots[
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.
].
Generally, more shoots are produced if the rain is abundant[
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.
].
A clump is considered as good if it has 30 culms on average, but clumps may have up to 100 culms[
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.
].
In Thailand, a 3-year-old plantation, raised from seeds, produced on average 38 culms per clump with an average diameter of 14 - 23mm, of which 28 culms per clump were harvestable on average[
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 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. Flowering is sporadic and gregarious. After flowering, the culms usually die. Gregarious flowering is rare and the flowering cycle is not known[
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.
]. They are considered to be among the best of bamboo shoots[
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

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is cultivated to provide a shelter from the wind[
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.
].
A closely spaced deep-rooting pioneer species, it can be used to provide permanent vegetation cover for soil
conservation and erosion control[
537
Title
Unasylva Vol. 52 No. 207
Publication
 
Author
Perlis A. (Editor)
Publisher
FAO Publications; Rome.
Year
201
ISBN
 
Description
This issue of the journal focusses on efforts in various parts of the world to rehabilitate land atfer mining.
].

Other Uses

The culms are light, strong and straight[
633
Title
Annals of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta. Vol. 7
Publication
 
Author
Gamble J.S.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Bengal Secretariat Press; Calcutta.
Year
1896
ISBN
 
Description
A very comprehensive listing of the bamboos of India, as they were known at the end of the 19th Century. Includes some information on plant uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. They are used in house construction and for general household uses, as well as providing raw material for cottage industries[
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 also widely used to make baskets, chopsticks, umbrella and broom handles, handicrafts, fishing rods and they serve as raw material for paper pulp and as fuel[
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.
].
This species is often used to produce umbrella handles for people of high rank and status, as well as for monks and priests[
146
Title
A Manual of Indian Timbers.
Publication
 
Author
Gamble. J. S.
Publisher
Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh
Year
1972
ISBN
-
Description
First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.
].
Once harvested, the culms are traditionally submerged for 10 - 20 days in running water to reduce starch and sugar contents, and subsequently cleaned, polished and dried. For furniture making, the culms are fire cured, which requires much skill to avoid damage[
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 - when stored at room temperature, the seeds gradually lose viability over a period of 12 - 18 months[
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.
]. In cool storage at 2 - 4°c, good viability is retained for at least two years[
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 seed is best sown fresh, when it germinates within days, with 90 - 95% of the seeds sprouting[
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.
].
Rhizome cuttings. The cuttings are taken from 1-year-old culms and comprise a length of rhizome with roots plus a culm that can be up to 1 metre long. This is planted in a nursery for 2 - 3 months and then transplanted to the field in the rainy season. In general, 10 rhizome cuttings can be taken from a 5 - 6-year-old clump, retaining 4 - 5 one-year-old culms in the clump[
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. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Thyrsostachys+siamensis>

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