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1. DENDROCALAMUS

 

A genus containing the largest of all bamboo species, forming clumps up to 30m tall. The culms are thin-walled and covered with thick furry wax when young, often with aerial roots at the lower nodes. The branches are usually absent lower down the culm, and are very variable in size, some being more than 5cm in diameter, bearing roots at the base. The inflorescence is spherical, with bracts at its base usually narrow with one ciliate keel (fig. 8), in contrast to those of Bambusa, which are more spicate, with broader bracts that have two ciliate keels (fig. 12). Most of the species 

 

 

are from subtropical to warm temperate areas, only withstanding a few degrees of frost. All species are easy to propagate by culm cuttings, as the large branches readily produce roots. The thin walls of the culms make the young shoots more liable to attack by shoot-boring larvae, and the dried poles are readily attacked by beetles if not preserved. This genus contains the most important species for edible shoot production in the Himalayas, as well as several general multipurpose species.

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