Bamboo

Location in BHU campus : Different species are planted in Botanical garden, in Horticulture garden, L.D. guest house and in some residential quarters in Jodhpur colony .

Tissue culture raised plants are also planted in Botanical garden.

1.Botanical name : Bambusa bambos (L.) Voss Syn Bambusa arundinacea Willd.

Family : Bambuseae

Vernacular / local Name : Bengali-Bans, behar, katausi; Gujarati – Wans; Hindi – Kanta bans; Kannada – Andebidiru, habbidiru; Kashmir – Billawar; Malayalam – Illi, mulla; Marathi - Bambu, mandga; Oriya – Bendo, kontobanso; Sanskrit- Bahupallava vansa; Tamil - Mullumungil, mungil; Telugu – Mullabongu, mullavendru, pentiveduru.

English names : Giant Thorny Bamboo.

A gracefull spinous bamboo; rhizomes short, stout, knotty; culms dense, reaching up to 30 m in height, green, hollow, with prominent nodes and 20-40 cm long internodes. Leaves linear or lineral-lanceolate, 7-20 x 1-3 cm. Flowers in large panicles; flowering once in 30-45 years. Fruits - caryopsis, oblong, 5-8 mm long, grooved on one side.

2.Botanical name : Dendrocalamus strictus(Roxb,) Nees

Family : Bambuseae

Vernacular / local Name : Bengali-Karail;Marathi-Bhariyel;Gujarati-Nakor bans;Kannada-Kiri bidiru; Malayalam & Tamil-Kal mungil;Telugu-Sadanapa Vedura.

Culms densely packed in dense clumps;culms solid or with a small cavity.Leaves deciduous ,narrow,lance shaped,finely hairy on both sides Inflorescence a large branching panicles. Fruits- caryopsis

Sporadic flowering and fruiting.

• Sacred value

The culms are used in the construction of roof of temples and hut by Todas of Nilgiri hills.The tribals of Alwar and Chittorgarh keep the new born child on a winnowing fan (sup, chajala) made of bamboo with the belief that the child will be blessed with a long and prosperous life. The winnowing fan is also used for worshipping the groom at the time of ‘Varmala’, a ceremony by the tribals of western Rajasthan. The culm is installed in the ground and a flag hoisted on it during ‘Magh Purnima’at the place where ‘Holi’ is to set on fire by the tribals of Banswara .

Bans puja is performed in different parts of the country on different occasions .The festivals have considerable variations according to the areas and communities. During Madana Chaturdasi (March-April) in some parts ,two stout bamboos are ceremoniously cut and washed and wrapped in cloth and worshipped for three to five days. In Cooch Bihar in Northen Bengal on the full moon day of Chaitra a bamboo is planted and Kamadeva is worshipped at the foot of bamboo. In some areas a bamboo is kept leaning on a banyan tree and worshipped.In rural areas of Assam the chief feature of Bhatheli festival is the planting of two green bamboos in the field.The bamboos represent represent bride and groom .It suggests unification of heaven and earth. As per Vajasaneyi samhita ‘When heaven and earth are in harmony with each other ,then it rains’.

Bamboo is used during marriages, housewarming ceremonies and other religious occasions.

It is also associated with the constellation Punarvasu ( Beta Geminorium pollux).

• Uses

Bambusa bambos makes close, tall impenetrable fence. It is extensively used for building, ladders,tent poles ,split stems are woven into mats, baskets and in manufacture of good quality paper.Culms are used for floating heavy timber . Young shoots are pickled or made into curries.. Grains are eaten during times of scarcity.

Dendrocalamus is used for batons, building purposes, bows and arrows,tent poles and paper pulp .

Leaves and twigs of bamboos are used as fodder.