SANG MON BAMBOO

Description

From Bamboos of Thailand, Native and Introduced Species (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) — An Annotated Compilation, by D. Ohrnberger (Khun Dieter – คุณดีเท่อร์)

Characteristics (based on BS-0228 and BS-0264): Habit tight caespitose. Rhizome pachymorph, short. Culms erect, straight upright, strong. Young shoots reddish (orange to pinkish to purplish), scattered short dark hairy; culm-leaf blades almost erect to deflexed, usually not reflexed, reddish-green to dark purplish; emerge from May to September. Culm-internodes relatively short, 7–12 cm on the basal culm, 15–28 (33) cm on the lower culm, 30–40 cm on the mid-culm, 40–27 cm on the upper culm, 27–15–10 cm long on the last 2–3 m to the top, glabrous, smooth, mid-green, powdery white waxy throughout (farinose deposit long lasting though easily removable), thus appearing bluish green, a few basal internodes occasionally much shortened and with oblique nodes; thick-walled (walls 2.1 cm thick in the 4th internode of 7 cm in diameter and 0.7 m above the ground). Culm-nodes glabrous, initially farinose, flat, but slightly prominent on thin culms; sheath scar dark purplish to black when young, 0.5–1 mm protruding; supranodal line obscure, without a ridge, about 5 mm above the nodal line; with a white densely farinose ring 0.5–1.2 (2) cm high below the sheath scar, and 0.4–0.7 (1.5) cm high above the sheath scar, both rings obscure from overall farinose deposit; occasionally with aerial roots on the basal culm. Branch-buds solitary, from the basal node up, broader than tall, 2.5 × 1.7 cm. Branches several, 1 slightly dominant, ascending; branches on the lower culm few and rudimentary, or unbranched, branches usually from the 16th to 21st (37th) node upwards; branching intravaginal, basipetal (from the top towards the lower culm). Culm-leaves early deciduous. Culm-leaf sheath leathery, 23 cm wide at the base, 37 cm long, green to reddish green with light green to yellowish green stripes when young, light reddish brown or light reddish straw-colored when dry, with a few short stiff dark brown hairs chiefly on the upper part of the sheath, otherwise glabrous; margins eciliate, or pale ciliolate initially on the upper margin; apex symmetrically rounded, slightly concave at the junction with the blade. Culm-leaf auricles very low, waved and slightly outwards bent glabrous stiff rims, each extending from the basal edge of the blade towards but not reaching the margin of the sheath, blackish when young; bristles none. Culm-leaf ligule rather high, (5) 7–11 mm, purplish when young, dark straw-colored when dry, margin irregularly toothed, the teeth at the ends of the ligule somewhat higher, without bristles. Culm-leaf blade small, about one-fourth of the length of the sheath, long and narrow, glabrous, dark purplish green when young, dark grayish when dry, persistent to the sheath, usually erect or nearly so at the lower culm, reflexed from the mid-culm up; margins not or slightly convolute towards the apex. Foliage-leaves (5) 7–12 (14) per branchlet. Foliage-leaf sheath keeled, yellowish green when young, glabrous; margins eciliate. Foliage-leaf auricles inconspicuous very low rims, less than 0.5 mm high; bristles none. Foliage-leaf ligule 2–3 mm high, convex-rounded, yellowish green to orange green when young, reddish with age; margin entire or subentire. Foliage-leaf blades firm, mid-green to dark green above, slightly dull mid-green or bluish green beneath, medium-sized, (15) 23–33 (39) × (1.5) 3–4 (4.7) cm, lanceolate, glabrous on both surfaces; base rounded to wedge-shaped; apex acuminate to attenuate; margins antrorsely scaberulous to smooth; midrib proximally prominent on both surfaces, light green beneath; side veins 4–9 pairs, not tessellate; pseudopetiole 4–6 mm long.

Origin

THAILAND (Nort, North-East), planted, not rare, no records on wild occurrences known, possibly introduced in early times.

Uses

Culms for construction, house construction, furniture, and for making chopsticks and toothpicks (in Uttaradit); plants for landscaping, suitable for tall screening.

Cultivation

Easy-growing, thrives well in heavy moist soil with good drainage, flood-tolerant, seems to prefer rich soil and cool humid climate.

References

Bibliography of Bamboos of Thailand