30. Pseudoxytenanthera ritcheyi (Munro) Naithani, J

Local names

Maharashtra - Huda, Udhe, Manga, Tandali
Karnataka - Choomaree, Choua, Chiwa, Chiwan, Chawa

General description

A medium sized strong bamboo. Culms 3-4.5 m high, nearly solid; internodes 37-45 cm long, 2.5-3.5 cm diameter. Culm-sheaths thin, papery at the margins, striate, sparsely covered with white appressed, stiff hairs, 15- 22 cm long, 7.5 cm broad at the base, gradually attenuate upwards the apex, rounded on either side with deep sinus with imperfect blade attached at the base. Leaves variable, 5-20 cm long and 2-4 cm broad. Inflorescence a large terminal panicle of spicate branchlets bearing dense globular heads of 5-6.5 cm diameter. Spikelets 2-2.5 cm long, less than 2.5 cm broad, 1-flowered, glabrous, long-spinose apiculate, numerous, fertile and sterile about equal in numbers, glumes ovate-mucronate, lower smaller, upper ovate-lanceolate, lemmas linear-lanceolate, convolute, long mucronate. Caryopsis narrow, linear oblong.

Habit and Habitat

Tree form. It is a light-demanding species and generally found on tops of the ridges and hills in the Western Ghats.

Distribution

Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Uses

Culms are used for fencing, walking sticks, umbrella handles and baskets.

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