Bambusa ventricosa McClure. | |
Poaceae | |
Buddha moongil | |
| Botanical Name | Bambusa ventricosa McClure. |
| Synonyms | Leleba ventricosa (McClure) W.C.Lin |
| Family | Poaceae |
| Common Name | English: Buddha bamboo / Tamil: Buddhar Moongil |
| Distribution | Global: China, Vietnam and Introduced as ornamental in Tropics and subtropics. Indian: Throughout India |
| Description | Erect green culms with short internodes that grows up to 10m height, Internode base swollen, smooth, glossy, dark green and yellow green on maturity, clump sheath decicuous. Leaves dark green, simple, linear, found in groups, whorled, leaf sheath glabrous, ligule subtruncate, very short, auricles ovate, falcate, blade linear-lanceolate. Inflorescence compressed spikelets, linear lanceolate, 2 keeled, apex cute, florets 6-8, rachilla segments flat, apex inflated, 2 or 3 floret sterile, glumes 1 or absent, ovate-elliptic, apex acute, lemma ovate-elliptic, glabrous, palea as long as lemma, ciliolate near apex,4-veined, apex acuminate, cluster of white hairs present, lodicules 3, margin long ciliate, anterior 2 slightly asymmetrical, posterior broadly elliptic. Stamens 6, filaments slender, anthers yellow, apex obtuse. Ovary broadly ovoid, stalked, apex thickened and hairy, style very short, hairy, stigma 3.; |
| Flowering Fruiting period | Monocarpic, 50-100 years |
| Uses | Highly ornamental plant due to swollen base of internode gives the name buddha belly. Planted in garden as wind breaker and control soil erosion. One of the best bamboo for bonsai. . |
| Medicinal Uses | Leaves Possesses antibacterial activity. |
| Tamil Name | Buddha moongil |