Common Name: Male Bamboo

General Information

Dendrocalamus strictus is a perennial, clump-forming, evergreen bamboo producing woody culms that are often much-curved, 6 - 20 metres tall. The thick-walled culms are 25 - 75mm in diameter with internodes 30 - 45cm long. Although usually evergreen, plants can lose their leaves in extended dry periods[, ].
The plant is commonly harvested from the wild for food and for its stems, which are used locally and also traded. This species is one of the two most important bamboos in India[]. The plant is sometimes cultivated, especially in tropical Asia, for its stems.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Pakistan, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam.

Habitat

Drier open deciduous forests in hill slopes, ravines and alluvial plains[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Bamboo
Height	15.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in tropical and subtropical areas. The plant is widely adaptable to temperatures, tolerating occasional frosts with temperatures as low as -5°c and summer heat as high as 45°c[]. It occurs naturally in tracts receiving as low as 750 mm of rainfall a year, but can also tolerate as much as 4,000mm[].
Succeeds in full sun and in light shade[]. Prefers well-drained, poor, coarse, grained and stony soils[]. Succeeds on practically all types of soils provided there is good drainage[]. It does not grow on water-logged or heavy soils such as pure clay or a mixture of clay and lime[]. Well-drained localities with sandy loam are the best for bamboo growth[]. Prefers a pH in the range 4.5 - 5.5, tolerating 4 - 6.5[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
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[].
The new rhizomes of seedlings first bend downwards before curving upwards to form their aerial shoots - thus successive shoots are not only larger than the preceding ones but also arise from rhizomes that are deeper in the soil. Early shoots are thin, wiry and grass-like, but as the clump develops the new shoots become progressively more woody and larger. A clump is considered mature when it starts producing full-sized culms – in nature this can take 11—13 years, though in cultivation it can be as little as 6 years[].
A mature clump grows in all directions, provided there are no obstructions (e.g. rocks or hard soil layers) until a balance is reached between the formation of new culms and the dying off of old culms. The ratio of new to old culms in a clump is usually 1:5[].
Young shoots usually arise in the rainy season. Given sufficient rainfall, as many as 20 new culms may be produced annually from fair-sized clumps[].
A mature clump contains on average 20 - 40 culms, but up to 200 are possible. Individual culms are considered mature when they are 3 years old but they can live for up to 15 years[].
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. With this species, the gregarious flowering cycle varies from 25 - 65 years[310' 361]. This does not mean that all the clumps will flower at the same time. The gregarious flowering commences with intensive sporadic flowering for 2 - 3 years, increasing progressively and resulting in the flowering of all the clumps in a period of five years[]. Sporadic flowering is seen almost every year[].

Edible Uses

Young stems - cooked as a vegetable[, ]. The stems are 6 - 10cm in diameter[].
Leaves and young shoots. They are cut into small pieces and cooked with salt and chilli, and garnished with mustard seeds, curry leaves and onions in oil[].

Seed[, ].

A manna obtained from the plant can be used for cooking or sweetmeats[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the leaves and nodes and siliceous matter is used in the traditional medicine[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is suitable for the reclamation of ravine land[].

Other Uses

The stems are used for a wide range of purposes - scaffolding, bridges, poles, agricultural implements and other large bamboo implements[, ]. They are also split and used to make other items such as walking sticks, furniture and baskets[].
The stems are extensively used as a raw material in paper mills[].
Harvesting may start 3 - 4 years after a clump has begun to produce culms of maximum size. Only culms older than 3 years are harvestable and harvesting should never be done during the growing season. It is recommended to cut the culms lower than 30cm above the ground level, but not below the 2nd node. Debris and cut branches should always be removed completely[].

Propagation

Seed - many, if not all, members of this genus have a short viability and should be sown within 2 - 3 months of harvest. Sow in containers in a lightly shaded position and only just cover. Germination usually takes place readily. Prick out into individual pots as soon as the plants are large enough to handle. Plant out into permanent positions when 20cm tall. Plants may remain in their low-growing juvenile state for several years - cutting the culms to the ground level can stimulate taller adult growth[].
Rhizome, culm and branch cuttings[]. The propagules are raised in the nursery and after they have produced roots they are planted out in the field before or during the first half of the rainy season[].

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