Dendrocalamus pendulus

Synonyms: Cephalostachyum malayense Ridl., J. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 57, 1911: 118; Schizostachyum subcordatum Ridl., J. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 82, 1920: 204.

Thai name: ไผ่นวล (phai nuan) (Peninsular). — T. Smitinand, 2001 [#1003]; BKF [#1368].

Malay name: buluh akar.

Distribution: THAILAND (South): Recorded from the provinces of Yala and Songkhla; perhaps distributed in all four southernmost provinces. — MALAYSIA (Peninsular): On the foothills and in valleys of mountain ranges, and in secondary lowland forests, abundant, can become weedy on disturbed sites, up to 1,200 m altitude.

Descriptions:

(1) "Culms up to 30 m. long by 9.6 cm. diameter at the base, smooth and dark green when old, nodes prominent, the lower with many roots; branches long, slender, pendulous; culm-sheaths up to 25 cm. long, olive-green below grading up to pinkish at the top and covered with white waxy powder and dense felted whitish hairs; blade to 25 x 8 cm., glabrous, pinkish, acuminate; auricles dark 1.5 cm. broad by 4 mm. tall with marginal bristles 2 cm. long; ligule up to 1 cm. tall at the ends; leaf-blades very variable in size up to 30 x 3 cm., rounded to almost cordate at the base above a stalk 2–6 mm. long, auricles on the larger leaves with bristles to 1 cm. long; ligule short. … [flowers described]." — H. B. Gilliland, Revised Flora of Malaya, vol. 3, 1971: p. 29 [#1039].

(2) "Culm sheaths pale green at their base and yellowish to pinkish orange near apex, lowest ones densely covered with dark brown hairs, upper ones with dense loose pale brown hairs, all with copious white wax mixed with the hairs; blade broadly lanceolate, spreading to reflexed; auricles low rims 1.5–3 mm high, sometimes crisped, bristly on margin, bristles to 7–10 mm long; ligule 4–7 mm high, the base 3.5–6 mm high, irregularly divided into coarse teeth. Culms to 30 m long and reaching 20–25 m tall, commonly 6–9 cm diameter, the apical part becoming very slender and attenuated and flexuous; internodes 40–50 cm long, dark green, copiously white-waxy, glabrous generally, with a band of silvery brown hairs below and above each node; lower nodes developing conspicuous verticils of roots. Leaf: blades 10–35 cm long, 1.3–4.5 cm wide, both sides glabrous; stalk 2–4 mm long; auricles inconspicuous lines or ridges, glabrous; ligule a subentire rim 0.5–1 mm high … [flowers described]." — K. M. Wong, Bamboos of Peninsular Malaysia, 1995: p. 115-117, fig. 58-61 [#1210].

(3) "… Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms leaning; pendulous at the tip; 2000–3000 cm long; 90 mm diam.; woody; with aerial roots from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; dark green. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 15–25 cm long; olive green; pubescent; auriculate; with 3–4 mm high auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 15–20 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 5–10 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade ovate; narrower than sheath; erect, or spreading; 25 cm long; 80 mm wide; glabrous on surface; acuminate. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or setose; 5–10 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base truncate, or broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.6 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 15–30 cm long; 20–30 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate … [flowers and seeds described]." — Kew GrassBase [#1335].

(4) "Closely tufted, sympodial bamboo. Culm 10–30 m tall, diameter 6–12 cm, wall 5–11 mm thick, arching over with pendulous tip, smooth and dark green when old; internodes about 40 cm long, with white wax below nodes and pale brown hairs; nodes somewhat prominent. Branches slender, central ones very long, pendulous. Culm sheath 16–25 cm × 20–30 cm, narrowing towards the apex, rigid except edges at the top, green tinged with pink at the top, covered with thick white wax and felted white easily deciduous hairs on the back; blade broadly lanceolate, 7–12 cm × 2.5–3 cmm erect or deflexed, glabrous or with scattered hairs adaxially; ligule 3–4 mm long, irregularly toothed; auricles about 15 mm long in lateral extent, bearing long bristles of 15–20 mm along the edges. Young shoot pinkish green, with white wax and white hairs. Leaf blade 15–25 cm × 1.5–2.5 cm, usually glabrous; sheath glabrous, often covered with white wax when young; ligule very short; auricles small. … [flowers described, seeds not known]." — S. Dransfield in S. Dransfield & E. A. Widjaja (eds.), Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 7, Bamboos, 1995: p. 92-93, fig. [#1226].

Images: Photo in K. M. Wong, Bamboo - The Amazing Grass, 2004: fig. 50 (habit) [#1048].

Characteristics: Culms leaning, arching over to the ground if not supported by surrounding trees; internodes copiously covered with white wax when young, light green, thin-walled; nodes of the basal culm with aerial roots; branches several, dominant branch rather long and whip-like; culm sheaths often grade from green at their base to orange or pink near their apex, sheath blade pinkish orange-green, sheath ligule dentate.

Uses: Culms for light construction, basketry, handicrafts.

Flowering cycle: Unknown. Gregarious flowering occurred in Peninsular Malaysia in 1974 and 1995.

Seed viability: Unknown.

Specimen: BS-0684 [-] (flowering branch, seeds), Temengor, Perak, northern Peninsular Malaysia, wild, coll. C. S., received as "Dendrocalamus pendulus", 17 Aug. 2011.