ໄມ້ພາງ / Waya Bamboo

Use
Food
Fibre
Income
Shelter
Scientific Name / Family
Dendrocalamus membranaceus Munro/Poaceae
Synonyms
Bambusa membranacea (Munro) Stapleton & N.H.Xia
Dendrocalamus longifimbriatus Gamble
Dendrocalamus membranaceus f. fimbriligulatus Hsueh & D.Z.Li
Dendrocalamus membranaceus f. pilosus Hsueh & D.Z.Li
Dendrocalamus membranaceus f. striatus Hsueh & D.Z.Li03-23
Oxytenanthera lacei Gamble
Sinocalamus longifimbriatus (Gamble) T.Q.Nguyen
Other Names
Conservation Status
Least Concern
Botanical Description

Mai Phang grows in dense clusters of around 50 stems, with an average cluster diameter of 2-3 m and height of 14 m. Canes are about 6 cm in diameter, the wall is 1 cm thick, and inter nodes are 90-100 cm long. The first branch is 8 m above the ground. The clump sheet is 30 x 27 cm, light yellow, and hairy all over, with an erect hairless tip of 9 x 9 cm. Auricles are medium large with long hairs. About 17 leaflets are produced with an average size of 3.4 x 27 cm, with a bundle of white hairs (1 cm) in the leaflet axils. Shoots are bitter in taste. Flowering was last observed in 1990 and needs to be monitored further. Harvesting occurs all year round for clump aged three years and older. Shoots are harvested mostly in the middle of the rainy season (August-September) and can be grilled and stored for up to three months, but this is not the best species for eating.

Description of Use

The wall and fibres of this bamboo species are stiff and not suitable for splitting into the smaller strips required for handicrafts, but the cane lasts for up to three years and is very suitable for frame construction poles and for different uses in house construction and roofing, fencing, or for chicken coop walls. Mai Phang is easy to harvest with one person able to gather up to 100 canes per day, but collectors often select clump of four years and older. Canes are split into 10-15 strips (each 2-3 cm wide) then dried in the sun and woven into mats or walls. Shoots are used for local consumption and sold on local markets at $0.15$0.2 per kg.

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