Dendrocalamus giganteus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dendrocalamus giganteus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| At Berlin Botanical Garden | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Genus: | Dendrocalamus |
| Species: | D. giganteus |
| Binomial name | |
| Dendrocalamus giganteus | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Dendrocalamus giganteus, commonly known as giant bamboo,[3] is a giant tropical and subtropical, dense-clumping species native to Southeast Asia. It is one of the largest bamboo species in the world.
A very tall, large-culmed, greyish-green bamboo, it grows in clumps consisting of a large number of closely growing culms, and typically reaches a height of 30 m (98 ft), but one clump in Arunachal Pradesh, India reached a height of 42 m (138 ft); the culms can also be up to 28 cm (11 in) thick,[4] measurements exceeded only by Dendrocalamus sinicus. Under favourable conditions, it can grow up to 40 cm (16 in) per day. The record for the species, 46 cm (18 in) in 24 hours, was set on July 29–30 of 1903 at Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens in Ceylon (Sri Lanka).[5][obsolete source] There have been reports of growth up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in 24 hours.[6] In subtropical climates, it does not grow as tall, usually reaching a height of 20 m (66 ft).[7]
The culms are straight, and greyish-green with a powdery appearance, becoming brownish-green on drying, with a smooth surface. The young shoots are blackish purple. Internode length is 25–40 cm, and diameter is 10–35 cm. Culm walls are thin, rarely exceeding 2.5 cm (0.98 in) in thickness[8] branching only at the top. Aerial roots occur up to the eighth node. The rootstock is stout.
The culm sheath is greenish when young, becoming dark brown when mature. Sheaths are large and broad, length of sheath proper 24–30 cm, and width is 40–60 cm. The blade is triangular, 7–10 cm long. The top of the sheath is rounded. Auricles are small, equal, and crisped. The upper surface of the sheath is covered with stiff, gold and brownish hairs. The under surface is glossy, and not hairy. Sheath fall off is early.[9]
