Commercial Bamboo
Varieties and Their
Production in Different
States of
India
Species of Bamboo
1. Mr. Syed Salim Ahmed, Rtd R.F.O,
Amravati - 444601, Maharashtra
2. Mr. Ajay A. Dolke, At & Post
Mangurda, Maharashtra 445302
Types of Bamboo
Sympodial & Monopodial
Sympodial bamboo forms clumps,
grows as a cluster in one spot –
clump forming
Monopodial bamboos or running
bamboos, have thin rhizomes
which extend horizontally
underground for long distances.
Diversity in species and growth
forms
Globally there are 110 genera and 1500
species, includes herbs, shrubs, tree forms
and climbers
In India there are 23 genera and 136 species
with more than 50% in north eastern
region
Bamboo
Species in
Forest
Departments
Bamboo
Garden
Amravati,
Maharashtra
Bamboo
Species in
Forest
Department
Bamboo
Garden
Amravati,
Maharashtra
Bamboo
Species in
Forest
Department
Bamboo
Garden
Amravati,
Maharashtra
Bamboo
Species in
Forest
Department
Bamboo
Garden
Amravati,
Maharashtra
Commercial
Bamboo Species
Bambusa bambos var gigantea
Babusa arundinacea
Local names, Katang, Assamese : Kotoha
Bengali Ketua, Oriya : Daba Tamil : Mungil
Malayalam : Pattil, Mullumula
Height : 30 m
Diameter : 15-18 cm
internodes' length : 30-45 cm
Wall thickness : 1.5-2.5 cm
Different flowering cycles, mostly 45 years.
Seeds : 60000 – 75000/kg.
Viability : 6 months . Seeds storable
Planting stock : through Seed, Vegetative
methods and tissue culture
Plantation about 204 plants/ha(7x7)
Altitude up to1000m.
Thrives well in riparian zone, rich moist soil
Yield : 50 t/ha/year
Structural bamboo, Used for Pulp,
construction, archery handicrafts. furniture,
Young shoots and seeds edible
Native : Madhya Pardesh, Maharashtra &
Most Part of India.
Bambusa balcooa
B. balcooa Roxb.
Local names, Bhima
Assamese : Baluka Bengalese: Balku bans
Tripura : barak Malayalam Assam Mula
Height: 16-23 m, Diameter : 8-15 cm
Internode length : 20-45 cm
Wall thickness : 1.9-2.5 cm
Flowering cycle : 35-45 years
Seeds not reported
Planting stock by rooting culm, branch cuttings
& tissue culture
Planting : 400 plants/ha
Maturity period : 5 years
Grown up to an altitude of 600m. Prefers heavy
textured soil with good drainage
Yield : about 50 t/ha/year
Very strong structural bamboo used for, pulp,
handicrafts, agarbathi, household.
Bambusa nutans
B. nutans Wall ex. Munro
Local names
Assamese: Jatia bah Bengalese Makla,
Hindi: Malabans
Oria: Badia bansa
Height:1 5-20m Diameter: 5-10 cm
Internode length: 25-45 cm
Wall thickness:1-1.5 cm
Flowering cycle 35 years
Planting through seeds, vegetative
propagation and tissue culture
Planting 400plants/ha
Altitude from 600-1500 m
Well drained sandy loam to clayey loam
soil
Yield: about 30-40 tones/ha/year
Used for poles, paper landscaping and
many local uses as agricultural
implements and household items.
Bambusa vulgaris green
B. vulgaris Schrad.
Height : 8-20 m
Diameter : 5-10 cm
Internode length : 30-45 cm
Wall thickness : 0.7-1.5 cm
Flowering not reported and no seed set
Planting stock by vegetative methods
and tissue culture
Altitude up to 1200 m
Moist soil in periphery of cultivated
land and foot of the hills. Frost and
saline tolerant
Planting 400 plants/ha
Yield 40t/ha/year
Used for pulp, scaffolding, handicrafts,
ornaments, edible shoots, leaves
medicinal
Dendrocalamus asper
D. asper (Schultz.) Back. Ex.. Hyena
Common Names : Sweet bamboo
Height : 20-25m
Diameter : 8-12 cm
Internode : 40-50 cm
Wall thickness : 1.1-2.0 cm
Flowering cycle : 100 years
Propagation : Through seeds, rooting of
cuttings and tissue culture.
Plantation 400 plants/ha
Sandy clay loam or shallow literati soil mixed
with fine sandy clay. Good drainage is
essential
Yield : 50t/ha/year
Uses : Poles, pulp and edible shoots
Dendrocalamus hamiltonii
D.hamiltonii Nees and Arn.
Common Name : Drooping bamboo
Local names
Assamese : Kako Bans Manipuri : Unep
Mizoram : Phulrua
Height : 12-20 m, Diameter : 10-19 cm
Internode: 30-50 cm, Wall thickness : 1.2-1.3 cm
Flowering cycle 35-45 years
Altitude up to 1500 m
Propagation by seed, vegetative propagation and
tissue culture.
Planting 400 plants/ha
Finer textured soil in moist areas
Used for wall, posts, basketry, weaving, archery,
pulp, rhizome adulterated for rhinoceros horn,
young shoots edible.
Dendrocalamus giganteus
D. giganteus Munro
Common Name: Giant bamboo
Assamese : Worra Manipuri: Maroobob
Malayalam : Anamula
Height : 30 m, Diameter : 20-30 cm
Internode : 35-40 cm
Wall thickness : 1.8-2.0 cm
Flowering cycle : 40 years
Seed set poor Seed weight 20000/kg
Propagation by seed, rooting cuttings and
tissue culture
Planting 100 plants/ha, Altitude up to 1200m
Yield: 50 tonnes/ha/year
Rich loam soil
Used for pulp and a variety of domestic uses
such as boat mast, building, construction.
Shoots are edible
Dendrocalamus brandisii
D. brandisii (Munro) Kurz
Local names
Bengali : Bhulka
Manipuri : Wanan
Malayalam : Bilathimula
Height : 20-33 m
Diameter : 13-20 cm
Internode : 30-60 cm
Wall thickness : 1.7-3 cm
Flowering cycle : 45-50 years.
Propagation : By seeds, vegitative
propagation and tissue culture
Plantation 280 plants/ha
Altitude: Up to 1300m
Yield: about 50t/ha/year
Found on calcareous rocks
Used for basketry, construction, pulp and
young shoots are edible
Dendrocalamus strictus
D. strictus (Roxb.) Nees
Local names
Bengali : Karali Gujarai Nakur bans
Marati Narvel Oriya : Salia
Tamil : Kalmungil Telugu Sadanap venduru
Malayalam : Kallan mula, Manipuri: Unan
Height: 8-16 m Diameter : 6-10 cm
Internode : 30-45 cm
Wall thickness : 0.5 to 2.00 cm
Base solid, Cultivated widely, most parts of India
Flowering cycle : 45-55 years
Seed weight: 25000-30000/kg. Seeds storable
Planting stock by seed, vegetative methods
including tissue culture,
Planting 400 plants/ha
Yield: 2000 bamboos/ha/year
Used for pulp, construction, musical
instruments, furniture, handicrafts. Leaves
medicinal and shoots edible.
Dendrocalamus membranaceus
D. membranaceus Munro
Height : 20-24m
Diameter : 6-10cm
Internodes : 22-38 cm
Wall thickness : 0.8-1.2 cm
Moist forests and low lands,
tolerates arid and barren condition.
Laterite and limestone
Planting stock through vegetative
methods including tissue culture
Planting 280 plants/ha
Used for construction, pulp,
chopsticks, handicrafts and shoots
are edible
Bambusa tulda
B. tulda Roxb.
Local names
Assamese : Jati Bengali : tulda Jowa
Hindi : Deobans, Peka
Height : 15-20 m
Diameter 5-10 cm, Internode length 40-70 cm
Wall thickness: 0.8-1.5 cm
Flowering cycle : 30-60 years
Seeds : 20000-25000/Kg
Viability for 45 days, Seeds storable
Propagation by seed and vegetative methods.
Planting : 280 plants/ha
Altitude up to 1500 m
Yield: about 30 t/ha/year
Finer textured soil
Used for pulp, construction, agarbathi sticks,
shoots edible and leaves medicinal
Thyrsostachys oliveri
T. oliveri Gamble
Common name: Rangoon bamboo
Malayalam: Korana, lathimula
Height: 15-25 m Diameter: 5 cm
Internode: 40-60 cm
Wall thickness: 1-1.2 cm, solid at base
Flowering cycle 48-50 years
Planting stock by seeds and vegetative
propagation including tissue culture
Planting 400plants/ha
Used for construction, poles, furniture,
basketry and young shoots are edible
Pseudoxytenanthera stocksii
Pseuoxytenanthera stocksii; Oxytenanthera
stocksii
Common Name : Malabar bamboo, Konkan
bamboo
Local Names
Marati: Manga, Chivarka
Kannada : Marihala Biduru, Oor seme
Height : 10-20 m, Diameter 5-8 cm
Wall thickness : 0.2-1.5 cm base solid
Internode length : 20-30 cm
Deep loamy soil up to an altitude of 600m
Sporadic flowering observed and no seed set
Planting stock through vegetative propagation
and tissue culture
Planting 400 plants/ha
Yield 2000 poles/ha/year
Used for construction, furniture, basketry,
agarbathi, handicrafts, food containers
Melocanna baccifera
M. baccifera (Roxb) Kurz
Local names
Assamese : Tarai Bengali: Muli
Manipuri Moubi
Height 10-20m Diameter : 3-7cm
Internode : 20-25 cm
Flowering cycle : 45 years
Seeds size and shape variable, 10-20 seeds/kg
viable for 2 to 3 weeks
Well watered sand clay loam, alluvial soil, well
drained residual soil of pure sand and low sand
stone hills.
Produces diffuse and open type clumps
Planting stock through seed and vegetative
propagation
Planting 400plants/ha
Used for flute making, weaving, paper pulp, floats
for transporting, handicrafts, shoots and seeds
edible
Dendrocalamus longispathus
D. longispathus Kurz
Local names
Assamese Bulka Khang
Manipuri: unal Tripura: Rupai
Height 10-18 m Diameter of 6-10 cm
Internode 40-60 cm
Wall thickness: 0.7-1.2 cm
Flowering cycle: 30-35 years
Cultivated in many locations
No of Seed per kg 55,000/kg
Planting stock by seed, vegetative
methods.
Planting 400 plants/ha
Used for pulp, landscaping, curtain,
agarbatti, tooth picks, making baskets
and containers.
Bambusa polymorpha
B. polymorpha Munro
Local names
Assamese: Jama betwa Betwa
Bengali: Betua, Hindi: Narangi bans
Height: 16-25 m
Diameter: 8-15 cm
Internode length: 40-60 cm
Wall thickness: 2-2.5 cm
Flowering cycle : 55-60 years,
Seed weight : 21000 to 40000 seed/kg
Planting stock : by seeds, rooting Culm
cuttings and tissue culture
Planting 400 plants/ha
Altitude up to 1000 m
Deep fertile, well drained loam soil and
reverie alluvial soil
Yield: 30-40 tones/ha/year
Construction, agarbathi sticks, pulp,
landscaping and best for edible shoots
Ochlandra travancorica
O.travancorica Benth
Common name: Reed bamboo
Local names
Malayalam Eeta, Oda, Ottal
Tamil : Eeral, Odai, Iral,
Height : 2-6 m Diameter : 2.5-5 cm
Internode : 45-100 cm
Wall thickness : 0.4-0.6 cm
Soil dark brown, acidic sand loam with
granular structure.
Altitude up to 1000 m
Planting stock through seeds and vegetative
propagation
Planting 625 plants/ha
Yield 6250 reed/ha/year
Used for pulp, mat weaving, basketry,
bamboo ply, umbrella handles, fishing rods,
handicrafts, walling of huts. Leaves are used
for thatching
Schizostachyum pergracile
Cephalostachyum pergracile Munro
Local name.
Hindi: Bhalan bans
Assamese: Madang
Manipur: Wootang
Oriya: Dangi
Height: 10-30m
Diameter 5-7.5 cm
Internode length 30-45 cm
Wall thickness 0.5-0.8 cm
Moderately moist soil
Planting stock by seed, vegetative
propagation
Planting 160 plants/ha
Use: landscaping, handicrafts Used for
pulp.
Bambusa striata
B. striata Lodd.ex. Lidl
B. vulgaris var. striata Gamble
Local names - Golden bamboo
Bengali: bakal Manipuri: Bakal
Oriya: Sunderkania bansa
Malayalam: Manjamula
Height: 8-20m Diameter: 5-10 cm
Internode: 40-45 cm Wall thickness:1-2cm
Two varieties, green with yellow stripes and yellow
with green stripes
No Seed formation
Propagation: by rooting culm and branch cuttings
Plantation 280/plants/ha
Yield: 35 tonnes/ha/year
Used for landscaping, suitable for saline areas,
poles, pulp and domestic uses
Gigantochloa atroviolacea
G. atroviolacea Widjaja
Common name : Black bamboo
Height : 8-12m
Diameter : 6-8cm
Internode : 30-50 cm
Wall thickness : 0.5-0.8 cm
Dry areas in soil rich in limestone
Culm colour purplish when
matured and the color increases
when grown in dry areas
Planting stock by rhizome and
culm cuttings
Planting 280 plants/ha
Used for construction, furniture,
musical instruments and
handicrafts
Dinochloa andomanica
D.andomanica
Local name
Hindi:
Height:
Diameter cm, Internode length cm
Wall thickness cm
Flowering cycle years
Seeds: /Kg
Viability for days, Seeds storable
Propagation by seed and
vegetative methods.
Planting: 280 plants/ha
Altitude up to m
Yield: about t/ha/year
Finer textured soil
Used for pulp, construction, edible
and leaves medicinal
Schizostachyum dullooa
Common name : Dollu bamboo
Asam : Dullooa, Lepcha,
Meghalaya : Wadroo
Height : 6 - 9 m
Diameter : 6 to 8 cm
Internode : 2.5 – 7.5 cm
Wall thickness : 40 - 45 cm
Flowering cycle :
Planting stock by seeds and vegetative
propagation including tissue culture
Planting 400 plants/ha
Altitude : 1200M
Used for construction, poles, basketry,
Umbrellas and mats viewing.
Native : Asam, North Bengal, Sikkim
Bambusa burmanica
B. burmanica
Local name
Hindi:
Height:
Diameter cm,
Internode length cm
Wall thickness cm
Flowering cycle years
Seeds: /Kg
Viability for days, Seeds storable
Propagation by seed and vegetative
methods.
Planting: 280 plants/ha
Altitude up to m
Yield: about t/ha/year
Finer textured soil
Used for pulp, construction, edible
Dendrocalamus sikkimensis
Common Name :
Mezoram : Rawami, Sangau,
Height : 17 - 20 m
Diameter : 12 - 20 cm
Internode : 45 cm
Wall thickness :
Flowering cycle :
Planting stock by seeds and vegetative
propagation including tissue culture
Planting 400 plants/ha
Altitude : 2100M
Used for Animal fodder, Pulp, Fencing,
Hut, Ropes, Water Pipe.
Native : N/E, West Bengal, Sikkim
Arunachal Pardesh, Meghalya, Nagaland
Dendrocalamus calostachyas
Common name :
Height : 20 - 30m
Diameter : 7.2cm
Internode : 30 - 40cm
Wall thickness : 5 - 4cm
Flowering cycle : 30 - 35 Year
No of seeds/ weight 135000/kg Vegetative
propagation including tissue culture
Planting 204 plants/ha
Altitude :
Used small Building and Domestic used.
Native : Myanmar, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Dehra
Dun
Bambusa logispiculata
Common name :
Height : 10 - 15m
Diameter : 7 - 10cm
Internode : 30 - 70cm
Wall thickness : 1-1.5 cm
Flowering cycle :
Seed, Vegetative propagation
including tissue culture
Planting 400 plants/ha
Altitude : 1000 meters
Used : Basket Mats, curtain
Native : Myanmar, Mezoram, Dehra
Dun
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