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[[File:Linedrawing Dendrocalamus giganteus.gif|thumb|1, stem bases; 2, young shoot; 3, stem leaf; 4, leafy branch; 5, base of leaf; 6, flowering branch. Source: PROSEA]]
<big>''[[Dendrocalamus giganteus]]'' Wall. ex Munro</big>
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Dendrocalamus giganteus'' (PROTA)}}
:Protologue: Trans. Linn. Soc. 26(1): 150 (1868).
:Chromosome number: 2''n'' = 72
== Vernacular names ==
*Giant bamboo, dragon bamboo (En). *Bambou de Birmanie, bambou géant (Fr). *Bambu balde, bambu imperial, bambu gigante (Po).
== Origin and geographic distribution ==
''Dendrocalamus giganteus'' is said to be used in Madagascar for construction, flooring, and musical instruments, but there may be confusion with the endemic ''Cathariostachys madagascariensis'' (A.Camus) S.Dransf., which is also known as ‘giant bamboo’. In Asia the large stems of ''Dendrocalamus giganteus'' are used for many purposes, e.g. construction, scaffolding and rural housing, water pipes, buckets, boat masts, matting, wicker ware and paper production. The thick-walled stems are especially suitable for the production of bamboo boards, which are an ideal material for room decoration and other interior applications such as walls, ceilings, floors, doors, shelves, etc. The young shoots are edible, but they are not widely consumed. They have a fair canning quality. In Thailand the large stem sheaths are made into hats. ''Dendrocalamus giganteus'' can be planted to protect soil against erosion. As one of the largest bamboo species, it has a high ornamental value.
== Properties ==
Shoot residues (mainly sheaths and soft pieces of the stem) contain per 100 g dry matter: protein 13.1 g, fat 1.8 g, fibre 23.5 g, ash 6.4 g, Ca 53 mg, Mg 108 mg, P 261 mg, Fe 11 mg and Zn 5 mg. The hydrocyanic acid content is 213 mg per 100 g. The residues can be used for fodder after removal of the hydrocyanic acid by boiling.
== Botany Description ==
*Giant bamboo, with a short, thick rhizome and densely tufted stems; stem (culm) erect with arching tip, up to 30(–35) m tall, up to 30 cm in diameter, wall up to 25 mm thick, covered with a white waxy layer when young, becoming whitish to greyish green; internodes 25–55 cm long, lowermost ones shortest; nodes not swollen, lower ones bearing aerial roots. *Leaves alternate, simple; stem leaves with sheath up to 50 cm × 50 cm, dark brown hairy, with small auricles, ligule up to 13 mm long and blade up to 38 cm × 9 cm; branch leaves with sheath glabrous outside, auricles small and glabrous, ligule 2–3 mm long, irregularly toothed, blade obliquely oblong, 20–50 cm × 3–10 cm, shortly stalked at base, apex acuminate, glabrous above, slightly rough, with distinct cross veins. *Inflorescence a panicle on a leafless branch with clusters of spikelets at the nodes. *Spikelets 12–17 mm × 3–8 mm, flattened, comprising 1–3 glumes and 4–6(–8) florets, the uppermost one sometimes sterile; glumes ovate; lemma shortly oblong, 8–13 mm long, palea of lower flowers 2-keeled and hairy at margin, that of upper flowers usually not keeled and glabrous; florets with 6 stamens having long filaments and an ovoid, hairy ovary, style long, terminating in a single feathery purple stigma. *Fruit an oblong caryopsis (grain), 6–8 mm long, hairy above. == Other botanical information ==
''Dendrocalamus giganteus'' stems grow very fast; in India average growth rates of 20 cm per day during 3.5 months have been observed. At first, the growth of a young shoot is very slow, quickening gradually during a period of 4–6 weeks, until the stem is about 4 m tall. Then the maximum growth rate is attained and maintained for several weeks. Thereafter the growth rate gradually decreases until it stops when full height is attained at the age of 3.5 months. Rapid growth seems to be induced by high relative humidity causing a high turgescence in the stem. Competition between stems in a clump may cause ‘abortive shoots’, affecting about 50% of all new shoots. Young abortion-prone shoots usually grow within 20 cm from a stem, attaining 10–15 cm in height before dying. Such young shoots are suitable for vegetable use.
''Dendrocalamus'' comprises about 35 species, distributed from India to China and the Philippines.
== Ecology ==
''Dendrocalamus giganteus'' occurs naturally in humid areas at slightly higher altitudes (up to 1200 m). It can, however, be grown successfully at low altitudes on rich alluvial soils. It tolerates light frost.
== Management ==
In an 8 ha plantation in Myanmar, 40–50 clumps were grown per ha. Harvesting of stems may start 7 years after planting. All 3-year-old stems from mature clumps (15–16 years old) can be cut annually. A mature clump may yield 3–4 stems per year. With 50 clumps per ha, annual yield can attain up to 200 stems and 200 young shoots. The edible portion of young shoots is about 33%, or 550 g on average. The fungus ''Pycnoporus sanguineus'' and powder-post beetles may attack dry harvested stems. In Asia stems are traditionally submerged for some time in running water or in mud to obtain some protection against powder-post beetles.
== Genetic resources ==
== Major references ==
* Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H., 2002–. GrassBase - the online world grass flora. [Internet] Rotal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom.http://www.kew.org/ data/grasses-db/. August 2007.
* Dah-Dovonon, J., 2001. Recherches pour la promotion et le développement du bambou et du rotin dans le Sud-Bénin. In: Agbo, B.P., Arodokoun, D.Y., Aïhou, K. & Matthess, A. (Editors). Recherche agricole pour le développement. Actes de l’atelier scientifique 1, Niaouli, 11–22 janvier 2001. Programme Régional Sud-Centre du Bénin. pp. 270–285.
== Author(s) ==
* M. Brink , PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands
== Correct citation of this article ==
Brink, M., 2008. '''Dendrocalamus giganteus''' Munro. [Internet] Record from PROTA4U. In: Louppe, D., Oteng-Amoako, A.A. & Brink, M. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. <http://www.prota4u.org/search.asp>. Accessed {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}}.
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[[Category:PROTA prov]][[Category:Timbers (PROTA)]]