Bambusa bambos (L.) Voss | |
Poaceae | |
Moongil | |
| Botanical Name | Bambusa bambos (L.) Voss |
| Synonyms | Arundarbor bambos (L.) Kuntze; Arundo bambo L.; |
| Family | Poaceae |
| Common Name | English: Bamboo, Indian thorny bamboo / Tamil: Moongil |
| Distribution | Global: Native to Southern Asia and naturalized in central America, Australia and Philippines Indian: Throughout India |
| Description | Erect culms from a thick stoloniferous rhizome up to 15-20 m height, culm sheaths broadly triangular, densely brownish, hairy. Leaves simple, linear, entire, sheath base glabrous, ligule short, petiole short. Inflorescence a compound panicle with the spikelet’s in heads. Spikelet many flowered, oblong terete, flowers bracteate, bract glume like, glume 1-3, broadly ovate, mucronate, Lemmas lanceolate, mucronate, coriaceous, glabrous, paleas 2 keeled, ciliate. Stamens 6, versatile. Ovary ovate, style 1, stigma 3. Fruit caryopsis, linearly cylindrical. |
| Flowering Fruiting period | Monocarpic, 16 - 52 years |
| Uses | Culms used for house constructions, scaffolding, rafters and roofing. It also used for making handcrafts, cooking utensils, basket making and as fencing sticks. |
| Medicinal Uses | It is widely used in folk medicine for its anti-inflammatory, astringent,laxative, diuretic, anti-ulcer, anti-arthritic, anti-obesity and abortifacient activities. |
| Tamil Name | Moongil |