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10. MELOCANNA 

 

Spreading thornless tropical species, with straight upright culms up to 21m tall and 7cm in diameter, arising from rhizomes which are up to 2m long. It is only found below 1,400m. This is the largest spreading bamboo in the region, highly valued for straightness, durability, used for mat-making and pulp for paper. The large culms with many branches can distinguish it from other spreading bamboos. The walls are up to 1cm thick, much thicker than those of Pseudostachyum, which are 

 

 

very thin. The culms have no thorns and the nodes are not raised, unlike those of Chimonobambusa. The long rhizomes distinguish it from clump-forming bamboos of similar stature. The culm sheath is very distinctive, with a long narrow blade. Culm buds are short and tough, and closed at the front. There are up to 40 branches from each culm node, and they are all similar in size. Leaves have no cross-veins. One species is known, forming large stands in Bangladesh and Assam.

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