Dendrocalamus giganteus

[boonut]

Pictures of Dendrocalamus giganteus from Bogor Botanical Garden in Indonesia... What do you think about this one as opposed to the one at Quail Botanical Garden?

[marcat]

Heck Allen you are the forums expert on D. giganteus what do you think. All I know is I have the room for one and I want it. If the Web's temps are right it might do all right here.
MarCat

[Roy]

[quote="boonut"]Pictures of Dendrocalamus giganteus from Bogor Botanical Garden in Indonesia... What do you think about this one as opposed to the one at Quail Botanical Garden?

While there are a lot of similarities, the 2 main differences I see between the 2 is that the Bogar D. giganteus has shorter internodes and more adventitious roots on the lower culm nodes.

[boonut]

Looking at both the D. Asper from Thailand and D. Giganteus from Bogor, would you think that the adventitious roots are the result of "plenty of rain"? I say that because even in my area, when we get a lot of rain, I see a lot more adventitious roots. Some of my big ones even produce rhizomes at the nodes with plenty of rain.

If this is true, then the Thai asper and the Bogor Giganteus may be the same as what we have in the U.S.. I am betting that they are the same, but may look a little different based on climate and growing conditions.

[boonut]

I hear a lot of discussion about the straightness of culms on "some" bamboo. The fact that some are very straight and some are not doesn't necessarily mean they are two different bamboo. The example I use is the B. Lako in my front yard. To get to the sun, the culms tend to bend way out when the bamboo is in full sun. It is still a B. Lako... not necessarily an inferior clone, just different in the way it grows based on it's growing conditions.

[boonut]

If that same B. Lako was growing in shade, it might have fewer lower branches and may be straighter under tall trees as it stretches up to get to the sun. On the example above, the Lako is in full sun, so it grows shorter with more lower branches although I cut them back to get the effect. It also has many more culms, branches, and leaves than one in the shade.

Just some thoughts...

[Roy]

Looking at both the D. Asper from Thailand and D. Giganteus from Bogor, would you think that the adventitious roots are the result of "plenty of rain"? I say that because even in my area, when we get a lot of rain, I see a lot more adventitious roots. Some of my big ones even produce rhizomes at the nodes with plenty of rain.

If this is true, then the Thai asper and the Bogor Giganteus may be the same as what we have in the U.S.. I am betting that they are the same, but may look a little different based on climate and growing conditions.

Could be a distinct possibility.

[Roy]

If that same B. Lako was growing in shade, it might have fewer lower branches and may be straighter under tall trees as it stretches up to get to the sun. On the example above, the Lako is in full sun, so it grows shorter with more lower branches although I cut them back to get the effect. It also has many more culms, branches, and leaves than one in the shade.

Just some thoughts...

Boonut,

I generally tend to agree with you on the shade issue. I've only seen B. dissemulator producing low branching, even in dense shade.

My neighbor, across the street from me, is growing some of my B. oldhamii I gave to him. His is in full sun and looks a lot different than mine. His has a lot of foliage which tends to obscure the culms. His has been in the ground about 5 years.

The unusual thing about my larger culmed B. oldhamiis (4 to 5 inchers) is that they will have the first 3 to 5 basal nodes with buds, then for about the next 20 feet up the culm, there will be no branch buds. These I have to top at 8 to 10 feet or about 30 feet.

[Roy]

I hear a lot of discussion about the straightness of culms on "some" bamboo. The fact that some are very straight and some are not doesn't necessarily mean they are two different bamboo. The example I use is the B. Lako in my front yard. To get to the sun, the culms tend to bend way out when the bamboo is in full sun. It is still a B. Lako... not necessarily an inferior clone, just different in the way it grows based on it's growing conditions.

Boonut,

The slight zig-zag in your culms. What do you attribute that to?

[boonut]

I really think the zigzagging has to do with wind. At the farm where there is more wind, I see them making a right turn.... then turning up... then turning again based on how much wind there was when the shoot was young and tender. No wind... then I see the "snake" effect from time to time.