Giant thorny bamboo, Spiny bamboo

Where does Giant thorny bamboo grow?

Found in: Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, NIcaragua, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Philippines, SE Asia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam

Notes: There are about 120 Bambusa species. They are tropical and subtropical in Asia. Chemical composition: Seeds per 100 g edible portion. Water 8 g, Protein 13.5 g, carbohydrates 73 g, fibre 1 g, fat 0.4 g, ash 1.7 g, calcium 87 mg, P 163 mg. Shoots per 100 g edible portion. Water 87-88 g, protein 3.9-4.4 g, fat 0.5 g, carbohydrates 5.5 g, fibre 1 g, ash 1 g, Ca 20-24 mg, P 40-65 mg, Fe 0.1-0.4 mg Vit A 76 IU, Vit B1 0.16 mg, Vit B2 0.05 mg Vit C 0.3-0.5 mg The energy value is about 185 kJ/100g. Young shoots contain HCN so should be cooked.

Growing Giant thorny bamboo, Spiny bamboo

Cultivation: It can easily be grown from seed. It can be grown by cuttings of the rhizome or the stem. Fresh seed germinate in 5-10 days. Seeds can be stored for 6 months at cool temperatures and in dry condition. Seedlings are normally kept in a nursery for 2 years before planting out. When stem cuttings are used stems with 1-3 nodes are planted horizontally. They are treated with root promoting hormones. A spacing of 6 m is suitable.

Edible Uses: The shoots should be cooked to remove the bitter cyanide. The water should be changed. They are often pickled then eaten. The seeds are used for flour.

Production: A clump from seed reaches about 5 m high in 7 years. It achieves full growth of 25-50 stems in 20 years. A 1000 seeds weigh 11.6 g. Flowering occurs between 16-45 years.

Nutrition Info

Giant thorny bamboo, Spiny bamboo Photos

References

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Wild edible plants of Himachal Pradesh (As Bambusa spinosa)

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