Gigantochloa atroviolacea

Synonyms: Gigantochloa atter var. nigra Gamble, Gigantochloa atter f. nigra Hildebrand.

Thai names: ไผ่ดำอินโดนีเซีย (phai dam indonisia); ไผ่ดำชวา (phai dam chawa).

Indonesian names: bambu hitam (Indones., hitam = black), bambu wulung; Javanese name: pring wulung; Sundanese name: awi hideung.

English name: Java Black Bamboo.

Distribution: Origin unknown, possibly Indonesia, only known in cultivation. — THAILAND: introduced in the 1980s, frequently planted in the Bangkok area. — INDONESIA: Java, Sumatra, Bali, Sulawesi, Lesser Sunda Islands. — INDIA: introduced from Indonesia as early as in the 1890s. — In cultivation in many tropical and subtropical countries. — N. Bystriakova & al., Bamboo Biodiversity, 2003: map 32 [#1342].

Culm size: Height 16 m, diameter 10 cm.

Descriptions:

(1) "Loosely tufted, sympodial bamboo. Culm up to 12 m tall, 6–8 cm in diameter at the base, wall up to 8 mm thick, dark green when young, turning greenish to dark brownish-purple with age, with distinct pale or whitish rings at the nodes, covered by dark brown glabrescent hairs; internodes up to 40–50 cm long; lower nodes with aerial roots. Branches numerous from 2–3 m upward. usually one branch is dominant at each node. Culm sheath 16–20 cm long, lower ones slightly persistent, with dark brown appressed hairs on the back; blade ovate to oblong, 4–9 cm long, spreading to reflexed; ligule up to 2 mm long, irregularly denticulate; auricles small, rounded to slightly curved outward, not joined to the base of the blade, 3–5 mm long and up to 4 mm in lateral extent, provided with bristles up to 7 mm long. Young shoots slender, dark green-brown, sometimes with a light green flash on the tips of the blades. Leaf blade lanceolate, 20–28 cm × 2–5 cm, glabrous; sheath covered with whitish hairs when young; ligule up to 2 mm long, irregularly toothed; auricles small, rim-like, up to 1 mm long and joined to ligule. … [flowers described] … Caryopsis unknown." — E. A. Widjaja in S. Dransfield & E. A. Widjaja (eds.), Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 7, Bamboos, 1995: p. 102-104, fig. [#1226].

(2) "Habit: Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 600–1200 cm long; 60–80 mm diam.; woody; with aerial roots from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 40–50 cm long; purple; distally pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 16–20 cm long; hispid; with appressed hairs; with dark brown hairs; auriculate; with 3–5 mm high auricles; ciliate on shoulders; shoulders with 3–7 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 2 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade ovate; spreading, or reflexed; 4–9 cm long. Leaf-sheaths pubescent; hairs white. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 1 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long; erose. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3–0.5 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 20–28 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute. … [flowers and seeds described]." — Kew GrassBase [#1335].

(3) K. K. Seethalakshmi & al., Bamboos of India, 1998: p. 156 [#1062].

(4) E. A. Widjaja, Spect. Indones. Bamboos, 2019: p. 80-83, 173 [#1279].

Images: Photos in Gaya Yoga (culms, habit); BambooLand (culms, nodes); E. A. Widjaja, l.c., 2019 (habit, culms, young shoot) [#1279]; E. A. Widjaja on Facebook, 1 Sep. 2022. Line drawings in E. A. Widjaja, Revis. Malesian Gigantochloa, 1987: fig. 10 (p. 322) [#1224] (culm-leaf, foliage-leaf, young shoot).

Uses: Plants as garden ornamentals; culms of good quality, chiefly used for handicrafts, musical instruments, and furniture in Java.

Cultivation requirements: Easy and fast-growing; in full sun; can grow in dry areas; prefers soil rich in limestone. The purplish-black color of the culms is said to be more prominent on plants grown in dry areas (LIPI). A mature clump that was clearcut and leaves basal culms of 0–5 cm height above the ground will easily re-shoot from the buds of its rhizomes and basal nodes that are 1–3 years old (tested at Bambusetum Baan Sammi, Feb. 2020: photos BS-0441_051.jpg and BS-0441_052.jpg).

Flowering cycle: Unknown. Flowering occurs very rarely; seeds are usually not produced.

Seed viability: Unknown.

Comments: This bamboo is considered to be the best tropical bamboo with black culms for its ability to resist color loss (fading) due to sun exposure.