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6. THAMNOCALAMUS

 

Clump-forming thornless frost hardy bamboos, up to 5m tall, found from 2,800m to 3,500m in mixed coniferous forest, with cross-veined leaves, smooth or waxy culms, few branches, and usually with upright culm sheath blades. These are the highest altitude clump forming bamboos, growing well above the range of all the species of Cephalostachyum, Teinostachyum, Ampelo- calamus, and also Drepanostachyum. They can always be distinguished from those genera by the cross-veins on their leaves (fig. 27). Compared to

 

 

Borinda the branches are fewer, and do not extend behind the culm in the first year (fig. 26 vs fig. 16). The culm internodes are also smoother and shorter. Culm buds are taller than their width (fig. 28), unlike the short buds of Himalayacalamus species. The rhizomes are solid, and shorter than those of Yushania and Sarocalamus, less than 30cm long (fig. 27). The culms are small and brittle and not widely used, but the shoots and leaves provide important food and cover for wildlife. 

[Home] [Key to Genera] [Identifying bamboos] [Dendrocalamus] [Bambusa] [Borinda] [Cephalostachyum] [Ampelocalamus] [Thamnocalamus] [spathiflorus] [Drepanostachyum] [Himalayacalamus] [Chimonobambusa] [Melocanna] [Pseudostachyum] [Neomicrocalamus] [Yushania] [Sarocalamus]