Dendrocalamus giganteus or large bamboo, is a densely clumping, large tropical and subtropical plant endemic to Southeast Asia. It's among the biggest species of bamboo found worldwide. India, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Yunnan region of China are the native habitats of Dendrocalamus giganteus. Its habitat is found in woodlands and along riverbanks between sea level and an elevation of 2,000 meters (6,600 feet).
A very tall, large-culmed, grayish-green bamboo, it usually reaches a height of 30 meters (98 feet) but one clump in Arunachal Pradesh, India, reached 42 meters. It grows in clumps made up of many closely spaced culms. In ideal circumstances, it can grow up to 40 centimeters every day. At the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), on July 29–30, 1903, the species record of 18 inches (46 centimeters) in a 24-hour period was set. It struggles to reach 20 meters in height in subtropical climates.
Culms have a smooth surface, are straight, and have a grayish green, powdery look that turns brownish green when they dry. Young shoots have a purple-black color. The internode has a diameter of 10–35 cm and a length of 25–40 cm. Culm walls are tiny, rarely thicker than one inch (2.5 cm), and they only branch at the top. Aerial roots can be found all the way up to node 8. Strong rootstock is used.
When the culm sheath is young, it is greenish, but as it ages, it turns dark brown. Sheaths are broad and massive, measuring between 24 and 30 cm in length and 40 to 60 cm in width. Triangular in shape, the blade is 7–10 cm length. The sheath has a rounded top. Little, uniform, crisped auricles are present. Stiff, brownish-gold hairs cover the upper surface of the sheath. The underside is smooth and hairless. Early sheath fall off.
Three to four years after a clump starts to produce culms of maximum size, harvesting can begin. Culms must be at least three years old to be harvested, and harvesting must never take place when the plant is actively growing. Chopping the culms less than 30 centimeters above the ground is advised, but not below the second node. It is usually necessary to eliminate all debris and cut branches thoroughly.
Dendrocalamus giganteus is used in construction and weaving. The shoots are edible. The culm's siliceous fluid is thought to have tonic and aphrodisiac properties. Hats are made from the big culm sheaths. Cane strips are used to weave mats and baskets.Large culms are utilized in building, scaffolding, rural houses, water pipes, buckets, boat masts, matting, woven goods, and paper manufacturing, among other things. The thick-walled culms are very useful for making bamboo boards, which are a great material for decorating rooms and other useful interior features like doors, shelves, floors, walls, and ceilings.
