| Bambusa vulgaris Golden Bamboo |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Bambusoideae |
| Genus: | Bambusa |
| Species: | B. vulgaris |
| Binomial name | |
| Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. ex J.C.Wendl.[2] |
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| Synonyms[3] | |
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Bambusa vulgaris, also known as Bambu Ampel (Indonesian), Buloh Aur, Buloh Pau, Buloh Minyak, Aur Beting (Malay), Mai-Luang, Phai-Luang (Thai), Daisan-Chiku (Japanese), Murangi (Kikiyu), Gemeiner Bambus (German), Bambou de Chine (French), Bambu Vulgar (Portuguese) , Mwanzi (Swahili), Common Bamboo, Golden Bamboo or Buddha’s Belly Bamboo.[4][5][6] is an open clump type bamboo species with lemon yellow culms in green stripes and dark green leaves.[7] Its densely tufted culms grow 10-20 meters long and 4-10 centimeters thick.[4][5] It is one of largest species of bamboo,[8] and is the most easily recognized species as well.[9]
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Origin of the species unknown,[5] though it is believed to have originated in either tropical Asia, southern China or Madagascar.[4][9]
Common bamboo is the most widely grown bamboo throughout the tropics and subtropics. Mostly known from only cultivation, spontaneous, escaped and naturalized populations exist throughout the tropics and sub-tropics in and outside Asia.[4][9] B. vulgaris is widely cultivated in East, Southeast and South Asia, as well as tropical Africa including Madagascar.[4][9] It is highly concentrated in the Indo-Malayan rainforests.[7] The species is one of the most successful bamboo species in Pakistan, Tanzania and Brazil.[10]
Popular as a hothouse plant by 1700s, it was one of early bamboo species introduced into Europe.[11] It is believed to have been introduced to Hawaii in the times of Captain James Cook (late 18th century), and is the most popular ornamental plant there.[12] B. Vulgaris is widely cultivated in the USA and Puerto Rico, apparently since introduction by Spaniards in 1840.[4] It may have been the first foreign species introduced into the United States.[11]
B. vulgaris grows mostly on river banks, road sides, wastelands and open ground generally in the low altitudes. It is a preferred species for erosion control.[7] In cultivation it grows best under humid conditions, but can also tolerate unfavorable conditions including low temperatures and a wide range of soil types.[4] Though drought resistant, B. vulgaris grows more vigorously on moist soils,[5] and in extreme draughts common bamboo might defoliate completely.[9] It can tolerate frost up to -3° C, and can grow on ground up to 1500m,[5] though in higher altitudes stems grow shorter and thinner.[9] Farmers prefer to buy it rather than planting it, as it harms the soil.[13]
Flowering is not common, and there are no seeds. At the interval of several decades the whole population of an area bloom at once,[14] and individual stems bear a large number of flowers.[9] Fruits are rare due to low pollen viability caused by irregular meiosis. When a stem dies, the clump usually survives.[9] Vegetation propagates through culm cuttings, rhizome planting, branch cutting, layering and marcotting.[5] Its rhizomes extend up to 80 cm before turning upward to create open fast-spreading clumps.[11] The easiest and most practised cultivation method is culm or branch cutting. In the Philippines, best results were obtained from one-node cuttings from the lower parts of six-month old culms.[9] The easy propagation of B. vulgaris explains its seemingly wild occurrence, as clumps may establish from culms used to make fencing or posts.[9]
Though not suited for small yards as it grows in large clumps,[14] young plants of Golden Bamboo can be grown in large containers.[15] Golden bamboo grows well in full sunlight or partial shade.[12] Protection is important as animals often graze on young shoots.[9] In Tanzania, management of B. vulgaris cultivation entails clearing of the ground around clumps.[9]
There are two major threats to the species. Small Bamboo Borers (Dinoderus spp.) as adults bore stems in India, China, Philippines, Australia and Japan. Bamboo Weevil (Cyrtotrachelus longimanus) destroy shoots during the larval stage in South China.[16] Other threats include leaf blight (Cercospora sp.), basal culm rot (Fusarium sp.), culm sheath rot (Glomerella cingulata), leaf rust (Kweilingia divina) and leaf spots (Dactylaria sp.).[9] In Bangladesh, Sarocladium oryzae carries deadly bamboo blight for the common bamboo.[9]
B. vulgaris has a wide variety of uses, including the stems used as fuel and the leaves used as fodder,[9][6] though a large amount of ingestion of leaves is known to cause neurological disorder among horses.[9] The worldwide production and trade of B. vulgaris is considerable, though no statistics is available.[9]
It is widely used as an ornamental plant,[6] and is very popular as that.[17] It often is planted as fences and border hedges.[4][6] It is also planted a measure for erosion control.[9]
The stems or culms of B. vulgaris are used for fencing and construction, especially of small temporary shelters,[4] including flooring, roof tiles, panelling, and walls made wither with culms or split stems.[9] The culm is used to make many parts of boats including masts, rudders, outriggers, boating poles.[4] It also is used to make furniture, basketry, wind-breakers, flutes, fishing rods, tool handles, stakes, weapons, bows for fishing nets, smoking pipes, irrigation pipes, distillation pipes, and more.[4][5][9]
It is used as raw material for paper pulp, especially in India.[5][9] Studies have shown that paper made from B. vulgaris has exceptional tear strength, comparable to paper made of softwood. It can also be used to make particle boards and flexible packaging grade paper.[9]
Young shoot of the plant, cooked or pickled,[5] is edible and is eaten throughout Asia,[12] though the bitter shoots rarely used as a vegetable.[4][11] Shoots remain buttercup yellow after cooking.[7] Decoction of the growing tips B. vulgars is mixed with Job's Tears (Coix lacryma-jobi) to make a refreshing drink in Mauritius.[9] Shoots are tender, whitish pink in color, and have a fair canning quality.[9]
100 grams of young shoots of green stem cultivars have 90 grams of water, 2.6 grams of protein, 4.1 grams of fat, 0.4 grams of carbohydrates, 1.1 grams of fibre, 22.8 micrograms of calcium, 37 micrograms of phosphorus, 1.1 micrograms of iron and 3.1 micrograms of ascorbic acid. 100 grams of young shoots of yellow stem cultivars have 88 grams of water, 1.8 grams of protein, 7.2 grams of fat, 0.0 grams of carbohydrates, 1.2 grams of fibre, 28.6 micrograms of calcium, 27.5 micrograms of phosphorus, 1.4 micrograms of iron and 0.0 micrograms of ascorbic acid.[9]
Many Orientals think it has medicinal values. Medieval alchemists in Europe extracted tabachir, a poison anti-dote from the species. Javanese people use water preserved in Golden Bamboo tubes as cure for jaundice.[12] In Nigeria, a drink of macerated leaves is taken against sexually transmitted diseases, and in Congo, leaves are used as part of treatment against measles.[9] A chloroform extract of leaves is active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.[9]
Working and machining properties of the stems are poor, as they are not straight, not easy to split, and not flexible. But, they are thick walled and initially strong.[9] Because of high carbohydrate content stems are susceptible to attacks from fungi and insects like powderpost beetle. Protection from biological threats is essential for long time use.[9]
With rich golden yellow culms striped in green, sometimes in very thin lines[18] Aureo-Variegata is the most common variety of B. vulgaris.[12]