24. Bambusa polymorpha Gamble, Ann.

Local names

English; Burmese Bamboo; Assam - Jama betwa, Betwa
Bengal - Betua, Jaibaroowa, Jama; Madhya Pradesh - Narangibhas;
Tripura – Bari

General description

Bambusa polymorpha is a tall, grayish green colored bamboo species, which grows in thickets consisting of a large number of heavily branched, closely growing culms. It reaches a height of 10–30 m.Culms are green, covered with whitish brown hair. Young shoots are greenish brown in color. Branching occurs from the mid-culm to the top. Aerial roots reach uptofew nodes above ground.Young culm sheaths are greenish, which become yellowish brown when mature. Sheaths of growing shoots are golden yellow color, with cup-shaped blades.Upper surfaces of the sheaths are covered with brownish-black, closely pressed hairs. Lower surfaces of the sheaths are not hairy. Sheaths do not fall early, but blades fall.

Habit and Habitat

Tree form. Grows naturally in semi-humid areas on deep, fertile, well-drained alluvial and loamy soil and usually occurs on low hill slopes along valleys, mixed with deciduous forests and among teak (Tectona grandis).

Distribution

Bangladesh, Myanmar, India- Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura.

Uses

Used for house building, production of pulp and paper, agarbathi sticks and fibre boards. In Myanmar, this species is considered the best for walls, floor and roof of houses.

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