Bambusa arundinacea WILLD

Family : Poaceae

Synonym(s) : Bambusa apous, Bambusa orientalls, Bambusa spinosa, Bambusa bamboos Druce.

English Name : Bamboo

Description

Tall woody bamboo, stems thorny, numerous, tufted, up to 40 m tall, curving at top; branches numerous, internodes 30 to 45 cm long, prominent, bearing in lower parts of stems dense half whorls of stiff, naked, horizontal branches, armed with 2 to 3 recurved, stout spines; lowest nodes rooting; stem-sheaths leathery, orange-yellow when young, hairy outside, shining and ribbed inside, 30 to 45 cm long; blade triangular, glabrous, covered with a brown felt of bristly hairs inside; leaves thin, linear, up to 20 cm long, glabrous above, hair beneath; leaf-sheaths hairy, small; inflorescence an enormous panicle, often occupying the entire stem; branchlets loose clusters of pale, glabrous spikes.

Habitat

Tropical to subtropical climates, growing in warm humid temperate areas as well, but thriving best under frost-free conditions, in rich to medium fertile soils with good water supply.

Parts Used : Young shoots, leaves, articulations, seeds and roots.

Herb Effects

Aphrodisiac, diuretic, demulcent, tonic, pectoral, stimulant, antifertility.

Medicinal Use

It is used for stomach and respiratory disorders, menstrual disorders, intestinal worms, wounds, nausea, vomiting, piles, in cough, consumption, asthma and fever. In combination with other astringent medicines it is given in chronic dysentery and internal hemorrhages. The most efficacious application for dislodgement of worms in ulcers is a poultice made by pounding the young shoots of the bamboo. The decoction of the joints is supposed to have an action on the uterus, and is used by females after delivery to cause free flow of the lochial discharge. The same part of the plant pounded with water is applied to inflamed joints. The juice of the flower is dropped in the ear for earache, and in deafness. An ointment from the root is a folk remedy for cirrhosis and hard tumors, especially tumors of the abdomen, liver, spleen and stomach.

Dosage

Powder: ¼ to ½ teaspoon 2-3 times per day mixed in warm water.

Contraindication

Do not take during pregnancy.

Reference