Schizostachyum grande
Schizostachyum grande Ridl., J. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 82, 1920: 204.
Thai names: ไผ่ตากวาง (phai ta kwang) (Surat Thani); ไผ่เมียง (phai miang) (Yala); "pai neing"; "pai nae". — T. Smitinand, 2001 [#1003]; BKF [#1368].
Malay name: buloh semeliang.
English name: Deer Eye Bamboo.
Distribution: THAILAND (South): Provinces of Surat Thani (Ko Samui), Krabi, Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, and Yala; in evergreen forest, common in forest edges and clearings, secondary forests, or wastelands; in lowlands up to 150 m altitude. — MALAYSIA (Peninsular), throughout, common in the foothills and valleys of mountain ranges, also in disturbed forest sites in the lowlands and up to 1,000 m altitude. — INDONESIA: northern Sumatra, native. — LAOS.
Culm size: Length 12–21 m, diameter 7–12 cm.
Descriptions:
(1) "Culms up to 20 m. tall by 12 cm. thick, erect at first but then drooping to the ground; internodes to 90 cm. long, with appressed hair when young; culm-sheaths up to 35 cm. long, pale yellow to pale green, with white appressed hairs on the back; blade erect, dark brown, 27 cm. long by 10 cm. broad, appressed-hairy above; auricles very small with short bristles; ligule irregularly toothed, up to 8 mm. tall. Leaf-blades up to 60 x 10 cm., glabrous, stalk very stout 1 cm.; sheaths appressed, hairy when young, auricles small; ligule up to 8 mm. tall. …" — H. B. Gilliland & al., Revised Flora of Malaya, vol. 3, 1971: p. 38 [#1039].
(2)"Open tufted, sympodial bamboo. Culm erect when young, later drooping to the ground or leaning on nearby vegetation, 3–11(–21) m long, 5–12 cm in diameter, wall 2–10 mm thick; internodes 50–70(–125) cm long, white hairy and white powdery when young, later glabrous and green to dull dark green with a white ring below the nodes; nodes with a purplish girdle at the junction with the culm sheaths. Branches arising from all nodes and all branches at one node more or less of equal length. Culm sheath more or less rigid, 20–35 cm long, 18–30 cm wide near the base, 4–12 cm at the apex, junction with blade horizontal, pale yellowish-green to pale green, pale pinkish tinged at the top, covered with white powder and white appressed hairs; blade narrowly to broadly triangular, 20–35 cm × 7–10 cm, erect, tapering to a long tip, early deciduous, reddish-brown to dark brown in young shoots, abaxial surface densely covered with pale appressed hairs; ligule 4–10 mm long, irregularly toothed; auricles small, with bristles 5 mm long. Young shoots cylindrical and straight, whitish or whitish-green, with dark brown to blackish blades. Leaf blade (27–)50(–60) cm × (4–)7(–10) cm, usually glabrous, base somewhat asymmetrical, apex acuminate; sheath hairy to glabrescent, the top ascending above the attachment of the pseudopetiole on either side and joined across by the ligule; ligule 2–8 mm long, sometimes bearing some slender bristles; auricles small, without bristles … [flowers and seeds described]." — S. Dransfield in S. Dransfield & E. A. Widjaja (eds.), Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 7, Bamboos, 1995: p. 133-135, fig. [#1226].
(3) K. M. Wong, Bamboos of Peninsular Malaysia, 1995: p. 171-172, fig. 98-99 [#1210].
(4) Kew GrassBase [#1335].
Images: Photos in K. M. Wong, Bamboo - The Amazing Grass, 2004: fig. 11 (habit) [#1048].
Uses: Shoots for food, palatable; also eaten by orangutans in Sumatra. Culms are used for construction and roofing, for gutters, water pipes, and furniture; internodes are used as cooking vessels. Culms are said to be very pest-resistant and durable when exposed to rain and sun. Leaves are used as food wrappers. Plants for landscaping.
Cultivation requirements: Easy and fast-growing; in part shade to full sun, soil moisture-retentive to moist, heavy clay-loamy soil does well.
Flowering cycle: Unknown. "… inflorescences are produced all the year round" [#1226]. Several plants of Schizostachyum grande, which are possibly seedlings and were transplanted at a young stage to Bambusetum Baan Sammi have not developed any flowers for more than 10 years.
Seed viability: At least 3–4 months; a possibly longer viable time period has not been tested.
Schizostachyum grande, from left to right: Young shoot emerging from the ground (BS-0116); young shoot about 2 m tall (BS-0116); young culm-leaf (BS-0581); node of a branch (BS-0581)
Specimens: BS-0116 [†] (2 living plants, one plant at Bambusetum Baan Sammi, the other moved to Boonthammee Bamboo Garden), collected in the wild by ธ. ล. in Satun Province, southern Thailand, without precise locality, received at Baan Sammi as "ไผ่ปล้องยาว (phai plong yao), ไผ่ท่อน้ำสตูล (phai tho nam satun), Schizostachyum grande", in 2010; both plants started flowering in cultivation (June 2013 and Jan. 2015, respectively), then died. BS-0116A [BBG] (living plants: seedlings at Baan Sammi), raised from seeds of BS-0116, collected by D. O., Feb. 2014. BS-0116B [BBG] (living plants: seedlings at Bambusetum Baan Sammi), raised from seeds of BS-0116, collected by D. O., Apr. 2014. BS-0116C [‑] (seeds, best grade A), at Boonthammee Bamboo Garden, collected by ธ. บ., Mar. 2015, no seedlings were raised. BS-0116D [‑] (seeds, grade B), at Boonthammee Bamboo Garden, collected by ธ. บ., Mar. 2015, no seedlings raised. BS-0116E [C6] (living plant: seedling), wild grown near the flowering mother plant at Bambusetum Baan Sammi.
Characteristics: Culms widely arching over to the ground if not supported by surrounding trees. Culm-internodes 40–80 cm long, covered with short appressed white-silvery hairs when young, glabrous when old, with a white ring below nodes, thin-walled. Culm-nodes thickened by a blackish corky girdle-like sheath scar ring. Branches many, subequal, unbranched on the lower culm. Culm-leaf sheaths pale cream when young. Culm-leaf ligule with irregular coarse clefts. Culm-leaf blades dark purplish-brown when young. Foliage-leaf blades very large.
Seed weight: 1.0 g ≈ 15–20 grade A husk-wrapped seeds, or 25–30 grade B husk-wrapped seeds.
Seed germination:
(1) A single seed (BS-0116A) was collected on 19 Feb. 2014, placed on moistened tissue paper on 22 Feb., with atmospheric humidity >70%, minimum night temperature of 15 °C, maximum day temperature of 34 °C, and diffuse light, this seed sprouted on the 54th(!) day after sowing (test 140222).
(2) Six seeds (BS-0116A) collected in early Apr. 2014, placed on moistened tissue paper on 5 Apr., atmospheric humidity >70%, minimum night temperature 18 °C, maximum day temperature 34 °C, diffuse light, the first seed sprouted on the 10th day (test 140405).
(3) Two tests were carried out on 18 and 22 Oct. 2014 in order to assess the impact of the fungicide Captan on the germination process. All seeds were placed on moistened tissue paper, atmospheric humidity >70%, minimum night temperature of 20 °C, maximum day temperature of 30 °C, diffuse light. Husks from 20 seeds were removed and no fungicide was applied (18 Oct.), the primary roots and shoots appeared on 3 seeds on the 6th day, and altogether 6 seeds developed into seedlings (germination rate 30%), the other seeds did not, and most of those seeds were heavily affected by fungus. A further 83 seeds (with their husks not removed) were soaked in fungicide solution for less than 6 hours (22 Oct.), the primary roots and shoots appeared on only 4 seeds between the 6th and the 9th day and developed into seedlings (germination rate about 5%). By the 19th day, all the other 79 seeds had not germinated, but very few of them were slightly affected by a fungus. The results indicate that the fungicide solution should be applied at a lower concentration, or that the application of another fungicide type should be considered (tests 141018 and 141022).
(4) Non-representative tests with the 2015 collected seeds (BS-0116C, BS-0116D) showed that a germination rate of not over 30% can be expected.
(5) pH tolerability test (Jul. – Sep. 2014): Seedlings (BS-0116A) did not tolerate a high-alkaline growth medium.
Schizostachyum grande from Satun (BS-0116B): Seeds
Schizostachyum grande (BS-0116C, BS-0116D) from Satun: Seeds grade A (left), grade B (right)
Schizostachyum grande (BS-0116C, BS-0116D) from Satun: Germinating seeds grade A (left) and grade B (right) as early as 2 days after collecting (soaked in clean water overnight, thereafter enclosed in wet cotton cloth)
Specimen: BS-0581 [C5] [BBG] (living plant), near อุทยานแห่งชาติ เขาน้ำค้าง (Khao Nam Khang National Park), Songkhla, southern Thailand, coll. C. S., #3054A, as "Schizostachyum sp., seedlings", received 30 May 2010.
Characteristics: Young shoots emerge in August. Culm-internodes to 88 cm long; lacuna with a layer of soft white pith. Branch-buds from the basal node up, but buds on the lower culm usually remain dormant. Foliage-leaf blades 30–60 (66) × (5) 6.5–10 (11) cm.
Specimen: BS-0321 [-] (living plant), southern Thailand, without precise locality, coll. C. S., as "Schizostachyum cf. grande", 20 Sep. 2009, received 7 Nov. 2009.
Specimen: BS-0516 [-] (living plant), southern Thailand, without precise locality, coll. C. S., as "Schizostachyum cf. grande", 20 Sep. 2009, received 7 Nov. 2009.
Specimen: BS-0550-1 [BBG] (living plants), near อุทยานแห่งชาติ เขาน้ำค้าง (Khao Nam Khang National Park), Songkhla, southern Thailand, coll. C. S., received 30 May 2010.
Comments: The plants were distributed and are no longer in cultivation at Bambusetum Baan Sammi.
Specimens: BS-0556 [†] (living plant), น้ำตกเขาแดง, Khao Daeng Waterfall, อำเภอ สะบ้าย้อย, Saba Yoi District, Songkhla Province, southern Thailand, collected by C. S., #3058, received from ธ. ล. 31 May 2010; flowered at Baan Sammi Feb. – Aug. 2013, then died. BS-0556A [BBG] (living plants: seedlings), raised from seeds of BS-0556, seeds coll. D. O., from 9 Apr. to May 2013, seedlings were moved to Boonthammee Bamboo Garden, Hang Dong, Chiang Mai.
Seed germination:
(1) The first six collected seeds (BS-0556A) laid on moistened tissue paper, 9 Apr. 2013, over 30 °C day temperature, diffuse light, over 20 °C night temperature, atmospheric humidity >70%, the first shoots emerged after 5 days, 3 seeds germinated, of which 2 developed into healthy seedlings.
(2) On 28 July 2013, a single seed (BS-0556A) was laid on moistened tissue paper, atmospheric humidity >70%, the primary root developed after 5 days, and the shoot emerged after 13 days.
Schizostachyum grande from Songkhla (BS-0556A): Seeds
Schizostachyum grande (BS-0556) from Songkhla: Flowering branch, mid-March 2013
Schizostachyum grande (BS-0556A): Germinating seed, 7th day (left), 22nd day (right)
Schizostachyum grande (BS-0556A): Three-month-old seedlings
Specimen: BS-0563 [-] (living plant), "Khao Nang Hong Pang Poi", ต. ถ้ำทองหลาง (Tham Thong Lang Subdistrict), อ. ทับปุด (Thap Put District), จ. พังงา (Phang Nga Province), altitude 70 m, coll. C. S., #3067, as "Schizostachyum sp.", 2 June 2010.
Comments: The identification as Schizostachyum grande has not been confirmed so far.
Specimen: BS-0551 [-] (living plant), near อุทยานแห่งชาติ เขาน้ำค้าง Khao Nam Khang National Park, Songkhla, southern Thailand, coll. by C. S., #3053, as "seedling, Gigantochloa sp.", received 30 May 2010.
Characteristics: Habit tight caespitose. Rhizome pachymorph. Culms to 6 m long [ultimate size not known], erect to slanted below, bending above, and arching almost to the ground. Young shoots narrowly conical; greenish-white culm-leaf sheaths, with maroon sheath margins and glossy maroon stiffly erect culm-leaf blades; emerge from October, rarely earlier. Culm-internodes terete, 45–60 (65) cm long, light green, with short white fuzz when young, otherwise smooth, 0.8–1.5 (1.6) cm in diameter [maximum size not yet known], easily splitting; walls thin, about 1 mm on a branch with 7 mm in diameter; lacuna with a layer of soft white pith. Culm-nodes initially covered with white caducous fuzz, then glabrous, smooth, not prominent; but with a prominent corky sheath scar ring, mid-brown to dark brown when young, blackish when old, 2 mm high, and 2–4 mm protruding the node; with a slight nodal ridge 5–10 mm above the nodal line; with a whitish to bluish fuzzy ring below the nodes when young; aerial roots none. Branch-bud solitary, broad, the 2–4 lowest nodes without buds. Branches 3–6, the central one somewhat less thick than the main culm, the other branches less thick than the central branch but not very slender, all branches on the lower and mid-culm stiffly rising up (negative-phototropic) at an angle of 10–30°; branching extravaginal and infravaginal, perhaps also intravaginal. Culm-leaves late deciduous, or loosely attached, or persistent and decaying on the culm. Culm-leaf sheaths 9–12 cm long, about ¼ of the internode length, leathery to thickly papery, rough, with very short white caducous hairs, light green and basally pinkish when young, light straw-colored when dry, somewhat dark spotted with age; margins narrowly dark colored when young, pale ciliolate or eciliate; apex horizontally truncate. Culm-leaf auricles small, inconspicuous, dark colored when young, with a few short white caducous bristles. Culm-leaf ligule short, 1 mm, entire. Culm-leaf blades papery, early deciduous, erect, long-triangular, the basal edges rounded; base as broad as the sheath apex; blade apex long-attenuate, reddish-brown when young, light straw-colored when dry. Foliage-leaves 6–10 (12) per branchlet. Foliage-leaf sheaths keeled, glabrous, light green when young, margins eciliate. Foliage-leaf auricles inconspicuous. Foliage-leaf ligule usually conspicuous, 2–6 mm long, light green to light orange when young, the margin with very short white straight caducous bristles. Foliage-leaf blades large, 28–50 (60) × (2.5) 4–8 (11.5) cm, lanceolate, glabrous on both surfaces, light green; base unequal, rounded to wedge-shaped; apex attenuate; margins antrorsely scabrous; midrib on both surfaces proximally prominent, whitish green; pseudopetiole long, 8–12 mm. Flowers and seeds are unknown.
Comments:
(1) It took 7 years for this seedling to gain a sufficient size, which allowed judging about the species' identity as Schizostachyum grande. Over the years, it became apparent that there are slight similarities with Schizostachyum grande with regard to the general appearance of the culm-leaf sheath and culm-leaf blade, and a strong similarity with regard to the pronounced nodes thickened by a corky girdle. However, this bamboo seemed to differ from all known species of Schizostachyum by its branching type, which consists of a few thick subequal branches on the lower and mid-culm. A branch complement of multiple subequal branches could not be observed even at the upper culm of this immature bamboo. After another but mature clump of Schizostachyum grande was observed, it became evident that this type of branching is actually present in this species on the lower culm and mid-culm, and multiple subequal branches are confined to the uppermost parts of the culms.
(2) The leaves of this seedling looked chlorotic and did produce a low amount of chlorophyll, thus remaining light green. Soil deficiencies could not be ruled out, but the light green color was apparently stable, and the plant was slow-growing. More likely, this is a genetically fixed mutation (which hardly had a survival chance in the wild), which has contributed to doubts that this seedling could be Schizostachyum grande, which typically has dark green foliage.
Culm-node, with branches almost as thick as the main culm, and with a prominent corky sheath scar ring (BS-0551)
Schizostachyum grande cl. striped leaves
Images: Photo on Facebook, 15 Jan. 2018.
Characteristics: Foliage-leaf blades with yellowish to yellowish-green stripes of varying width.