Herb latin name: Thamnocalamus spathiflorus


Synonyms: Arundinaria spathiflora


Family: Gramineae (Grass Family)



Edible parts of Thamnocalamus spathiflorus:

Young shoots - cooked. Seed - cooked and used as a cereal. The plants only flower and produce seed at intervals of several years.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Bamboo

Height:
6 m
(20 feet)

Habitat of the herb:

Forming thickets in damp sites in cedar, oak and fir forests up to 3600 metres. Prefers growing on steeply sloping sites.

Other uses of Thamnocalamus spathiflorus:

A valuable plant for screen planting in wet areas. The canes are used for making baskets and pipes. They can also be used as plant supports. The canes are quite brittle and so are not very useful for weaving, in their native range they are only used when better species are not available.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - surface sow as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse at about 20°C. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination usually takes place fairly quickly so long as the seed is of good quality, though it can take 3 - 6 months. Grow on in a lightly shaded place in the greenhouse until large enough to plant out. Seed is rarely available. Division in spring as new growth commences. Take divisions with at least three canes in the clump, trying to cause as little root disturbance to the main plant as possible. Grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse in pots of a high fertility sandy medium. Mist the foliage regularly until plants are established. Plant them out into their permanent positions when a good root system has developed, which can take a year or more. Basal cane cuttings.

Cultivation of Thamnocalamus spathiflorus:

Forming thickets in damp sites in cedar, oak and fir forests up to 3600 metres. Prefers growing on steeply sloping sites.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Thamnocalamus spathiflorus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.