Practical
Plants

Drepanostachyum falcatum

Ringal

a woody evergreen member of the Drepanostachyum genus in the family Gramineae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Gramineae
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
slow
Height
3.5 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young shoots - cooked[8]. Used as a vegetable[9]. They are also fermented and preserved in Nepal to form a dish called tama[9]. Tama is sour and has a very strong flavour, it is sometimes mixed in vegetable curries[9].

Plant part
Stem

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The canes are used for making hats, baskets, rods etc[10][11][12][9]. The culms are not very straight, and they have rather swollen nodes, which make them not very suitable as a weaving material[7]. Nevertheless, they are still widely used for this purpose in the Himalayas[7]. They are also used in construction[5]. They are about 2cm in diameter[7]. The plant is used as a very effective soil stabilizer in Nepal[7].

Product or use
Basketry
Product or use
Weaving

Ecology and functions

Earth stabiliser

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Himalayas.
Habitat
Forms dense thickets in evergreen oak forests that are usually damp, to 3600 metres[2][11].
Shade tolerance
partial shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - surface sow as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse at about 20°c. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination usually takes place fairly quickly so long as the seed is of good quality, though it can take 3 - 6 months. Grow on in a lightly shaded place in the greenhouse until large enough to plant out. Seed is rarely available. Division in spring as new growth commences. Take divisions with at least three canes in the clump, trying to cause as little root disturbance to the main plant as possible. Grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse in pots of a high fertility sandy medium. Mist the foliage regularly until plants are established. Plant them out into their permanent positions when a good root system has developed, which can take a year or more[6]. Basal cane cuttings.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers an open loam of reasonable quality and plenty of moisture in the growing season[1]. Requires a sheltered position[8]. A very ornamental plant[1], it is only reliably hardy in the milder areas of Britain[1][2][8][4], tolerating temperatures down to about -6°c. In most parts of the country it is best grown in a conservatory. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[6]. Plants flower quite frequently in Britain and often produce viable seed[2]. When they do come into flower most of the plants energies are directed into producing seed and consequently the plant is severely weakened. They sometimes die after flowering, but if left alone they will usually recover though they will look very poorly for a few years. If fed with artificial NPK fertilizers at this time the plants are more likely to die[3]. The rootstock is caespitose, new shoots are produced from late May[8].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. ? The Plantsman. Vol. 1. 1979 - 1980. Royal Horticultural Society 1979-00-00

    ↩

  4. Grounds. R. Ornamental Grasses. Christopher Helm 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-7470-1219-9

    ↩

  5. Farrelly. D. The Book of Bamboo Sierra Club. 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-87156-825-X

    ↩

  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  7. Stapleton. C. Bamboos of Nepal The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 1994-00-00 ISBN 0947643680

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  8. Lawson. Bamboos. Faber 1968-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  9. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  10. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  11. Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press 1984-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  12. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

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