Practical
Plants

Thamnocalamus spathiflorus

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

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Gramineae
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
6 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[5]. Seed - cooked and used as a cereal[5]. The plants only flower and produce seed at intervals of several years.

Plant part
Seed
Plant part
Stem

Material uses

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

A valuable plant for screen planting in wet areas[7]. The canes are used for making baskets and pipes[9][11][12][6]. They can also be used as plant supports[4]. The canes are quite brittle and so are not very useful for weaving, in their native range they are only used when better species are not available[8].

Product or use
Basketry
Product or use
Plant support

Ecology and functions

Hedge

Environment

Range
E. Asia - W. Himalayas.
Habitat
Forming thickets in damp sites in cedar, oak and fir forests up to 3600 metres[12][7]. Prefers growing on steeply sloping sites[8].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
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[7]. Basal cane cuttings.

Cultivation

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

Succeeds in most soils in sun or shade so long as the soil is moist[7]. Prefers a good loamy soil in a semi-shaded position[1][2][9], the leaves curling up when the plant grows in strong sunlight. Dislikes drought[1]. Requires a position sheltered from cold winds[9][6]. When grown outdoors, this species is only hardy in the milder areas of Britain[6]. Plants are hardy to about -20°c according to another report. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[7]. A clump-forming species, it does not hinder the regeneration of tree growth in its native range and is also a very valuable species for providing food and shelter for wildlife[10]. Plants only flower at intervals of many years. 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[9]. Closely related to T. aristatus[7].

References

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

  4. Gamble. J. S. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1972-00-00

    ↩

  5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

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

    ↩1↩2

  9. Lawson. Bamboos. Faber 1968-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  10. Stapleton. C. Bamboos of Bhutan Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-947643-67-2

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

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