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fiy l^///i«w //. Brown, Ph. D.,

Chief, Division of Investigation, Bureau of Forestry; Plant Physiologist, Bureau of
Science; and Associate Professor of Botany, College of Liberal Arts,
^ University of the Philippines

and

Arthur F. Fischer, C. E., M. F.,

Director of Forestry} and Dean and Professor of Forestry, School of Forestry,
University of the Philippines

Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Bureau of Forestry

Bulletin No. 15

Arthur F, Fischer, f)irector of Forestry

xVlANlLA

BUREAU OF PRINTING

1918

100091

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Forestry

5D

2^

Philippine Bamboos

By William H. Brown, Ph. Z).,

Chief, Division of Investigation, Bureau of Forestry; Plant Physiologist, Bureau of

Science; and Associate Professor of Botany, College of Liberal Arts,

University of the Philippines

and

Arthur F. Fischer, C. E., M. F.,

Director of Forestry; and Dean and Professor of Forestry, School of Forestry,
University of the Philippines

Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Bureau of Forestry

Bulletin No. 15

Arthur F, Fischer, Director of Forestry

MANILA
BUREAU OF PRINTING

1918

CONTENTS

Page.

Illustrations 5

Preface 7

Introduction 9

Key to Genera 11

Description of Species 12

Arundinaria 12

Bambusa 12

Cephalostachyum — 14

Dendrocalamus 15

Dinochloa 15

Gigantochloa 16

Guadua 16

Schizostachyum 17

Planting of Bamboo 20

Growth of Mature Clumps 24

Cost of Harvesting and Prices 32

160091 3

ILLUSTRATIONS

Plate I. View along a trail in forest of SchizoHt achy urn lu-
mampao, (Frontispiece.)

II. Arundiyiaria niitakayamensis Hayata.

III. Bambusa cornuta Munro.

IV. Bambusa merrillii Gamble.

V. Bambusa spinosa Roxb. Clump.
VI. Bambusa spinosa Roxb. Base of clump.
VII. Bambusa spinosa Roxb.
VIII. Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. Clump.

IX. Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. Base of clump.

X. Bambusa vulgaris Schrad.
XI. Cephalostachyum mindorense Gamble. Cotype specimen.
XII. Dendrocalavi2is merrillianus Elm. Clump.

XIII. Dendrocalamus rnerrillianus Elm. Cotype specimen.

XIV. Dinochloa ciliata Kurz.
XV. Dinochloa elmeri Gamble.

XVI. Dinochloa luconiae (Munro) Merr. Type specimen.
XVII. Dinochloa pubiramea Gamble. Type specimen.
XVIII. Dinochloa scandens O. Kuntze.
XIX. Gigantochloa levis (Blanco) Merr.
XX. Guadua philippinensis Gamble. Cotype specimen.
XXI. Schizostachyum brachycladum Kurz.
XXII. Schizostachyum dielsianum (Pilger) Merr.

XXIII. Schizostachyum curranii Gamble.

XXIV. Schizostachyum diffusum (Blanco) Merr.

XXV. Schizostachyum fenixii Gamble. Cotype specimen.
XXVI. Schizostachyum hirtiflorum Hack. Cotype specimen.
XXVII. Schizostachyum lima (Blanco) Merr.
XXVIII. Schizostachyum lumampao (Blanco) Merr.

XXIX. Interior of mature forest of Schizostachyum. lumampao.
XXX. Schizostachyum luzonicum Gamble. Cotype specimen.
XXXI. Schizostachyum palawanense Gamble. Type specimen.
XXXII. Schizostachyum textorium (Blanco) Merr.
XXXIII. Schizostachyum toppingii Gamble. Cotype specimen.

5

PREFACE

This bulletin is the first of a series to deal with minor forest
products. By minor forest products are meant all the products
of the forest other than timber, the latter being regarded as
the principal product. In the Philippines, as in other tropical
forests, the minor products, while of less importance than the
timber, are very varied and of great economic value. For this
reason, it has been deemed advisable to prepare a series of
bulletins dealing with them; particularly as at the present time
it is especially desirable to have, in an available form, informa-
tion concerning our resources. In preparing a work of this
kind there are always points concerning which further informa-
tion would be desirable and in the Philippines there is a great
lack of data which would be necessary to make the treatment
of the minor forest products reasonably thorough. It is believed,
however, that the presentation of such data as we have is advis-
able particularly as it can then serve as a better starting point
for obtaining further information.

The writers are greatly indebted to Mr. E. D. Merrill, of the
Bureau of Science, for valuable assistance and suggestions and
to Dr. F. W. Foxworthy, formerly chief of the Division of
Investigation, Bureau of Forestry, for extensive records left
with the Bureau and for helpful criticisms of the present paper.
Without the information obtained from Mr. Merrill and from the
records left by Dr. Foxworthy, the preparation of the present
bulletin would have been impracticable. The authors are in-
debted to Mr. R. C. McGregor for assistance in preparing this
manuscript for the printer.

All plates except VI, VIII, IX, and XXIX are from pho-
tographs taken for the writers through the courtesy of the
Bureau of Science, Manila, by their official photographer, Mr.
E. Cortes.

7

PHILIPPINE BAMBOOS

By William H. Brown and Arthur F. Fischer
INTRODUCTION

The bamboos form a section of the grass family and contain
the largest known grasses, many of which are of tree size.
Bamboos, according to form, can be divided into three classes:
clump-forming erect species; erect ones which send up shoots
singly from an underground stem ; and climbing bamboos. Erect
clump-forming species are characteristic of tropical countries,
while those which send up shoots singly are more charac-
teristic of subtropical or temperate regions. Bamboos are
the most useful plants for domestic purposes in the Philippine
Islands. Their most promising possibilities for export are as
paper pulp, hats, baskets, mats, and matting. These products
will be discussed in later bulletins.

In the Philippine Islands are found about 30 species of bamboo,
17 erect and 13 climbing, as follows :

ERECT

Arundinaria niitakayamensis Hayata.
Bambusa cornuta Munro.
Bambusa glaucescens (Willd.) Sieb.
Bambusa inerrillii Gamble.
Bambusa spinosa Roxb.
Bambusa vulgaris Schrad.
Bambusa vulgaris striata Gamble.
Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro.
Dendro calamus merrillianus Elm.
Gigantochloa levis (Blanco) Merr.
Guadua philippinensis Gamble.
Schizostachyum brachycladum Kurz.
Schizostachyum hirtiflorum Hack.
Schizostachyum lima (Blanco) Merr.
Schizostachyum lumampao (Blanco)

Merr.
Dendrocalamus curi^anii Gamble.

climbing

Gam-

Cephalostachyum mindorense
ble.

Dinochloa ciliata Kurz.

Dinochloa elmeri Gamble.

Dinochloa luconiae (Munro) Merr.

Dinochloa pubiramea (Merr.) Gam-
ble.

Dinochloa scandens O. Kuntze.

Schizostachyum luzonicum Gamble.

Schizostachyum curranii Gamble.

Schizostachyum dielsianum, (Pilger)
Merr.

Schizostachyum diffusum (Blanco)
Merr.

Schizostachyum fenixii Gamble.

Schizostachyum palawanense Gam-
ble.

Schizostachyum textorium (Blanco)
Merr.

Schizostachyum toppingii Gamble.

At present the climbing bamboos are of slight commercial
importance, and are rather a disadvantage than an advantage,
as they occupy space which might be utilized by more valuable
plants. They grow at the edge of the forest or in deserted
caingins,' or in the forest whenever space has been opened up

^ A word used in the Philippines for a clearing made for temporary
cultivation.

9

10 PHILIPPINE BAMBOOS

by the falling of large trees. They require considerable insola-
tion for their best development and then grow very densely — so
densely that it is very difficult to penetrate the thickets formed.
In fact climbing bamboo forms the most impenetrable thickets
that are to be found in our forests. They seem to be decidedly
inimical to tree growth, and are hard to eradicate when once
they have fully occupied an area.

The erect species may, for convenience, be divided into thick-
and thin-walled bamboos. The frame work of a great majority
of the houses in the Philippine Islands is constructed from the
thick-walled species. Unsplit culms are used for posts, beams,
and rafters. The same species, when split and flattened, are
used for the sides of houses ; or when split in two employed like
tiles for roofing. Most frequently the sides and partitions,
and occasionally the floors, are formed from thin-walled species
split and woven into a coarse matting (sawale) .

Sawale is a promising material for the construction of light-
material bungalows even in temperate countries. It is also
very attractive as an interior finish in strong-material houses.
Sawale is of particular advantage in the construction of large
temporary buildings. In Manila there is held an annual Car-
nival, in which very imposing structures are constructed rapidly
and cheaply with the aid of this material. When the Philippine
National Guard was organized, all the barracks were constructed
very quickly on account of the use of sawale. In the entire
Philippine exhibits at the Panama-Pacific International Exposi-
tion at San Francisco, California, various weaves and classes
of sawale were used extensively in the installation of the dif-
ferent booths. This proved so attractive and demonstrated so
clearly its use, that people visiting the Exposition ordered mate-
rial of the heavier weave for summer cottages in California.
These orders, aggregating 3,000 linear yards, were for the kind
of material used in the exhibits. It was only due to a lack
of an organized industry and the subsequent rise in freight
rates that a considerable export trade did not result from this
beginning.

The domestic uses of bamboo are innumerable and include
bridges, fences, rafts, fish-traps, vessels for carrying and storing
water, cooking, splints for baskets, hats and mats, vehicle shafts,
chairs, cupboards, tables, beds, benches, flower pots, etc. In
fact, on account of the ease with which it is worked, bamboo is
used for almost every purpose for which wood is employed in
temperate countries. The young shoots of many species are also
used for food. As an interesting use of bamboo we may mention
that complete bands, in some cases having 32 or more pieces,

KEY TO GENERA 11

are equipped with musical instruments constructed of bamboo.
These pieces are of the same general character as brass instru-
ments and include horns, clarinets, flageolets, saxophones, flutes,
piccolos, and drums. A church in Las Piiias, a few kilometers
from Manila, has a famous organ with bamboo pipes.

For construction purposes bamboo should be cut a year after
it has reached mature size and after the rainy season; that is,
in most part of the Philippines, after November. If cut during
the rainy season the culms are full of sap, which soon attracts
small beetles in great numbers and these rapidly destroy the
bamboo. In practice, newly cut bamboo is often kept in water
for several weeks in order that the sap, or at least the sugar
and starch contents of the sap, may be eliminated. Filipino
bamboo carpenters say that when flies gather around the newly
worked bamboo, it is a sign that this bamboo is not durable.
The flies, of course, are attracted by the sugar in the bamboo.

Owing to the wide distribution of bamboo and the ease with
which it is worked without any special implements, it offers
a promising field for the development of local household in-
dustries for the manufacture of various useful and ornamental
articles. If this industry were developed, no doubt considerable
export trade could be secured.

Key to the genera of Philippine bamboos.
1. Climbing.

2. Flowers in widely scattered, dense, globose heads; rare, known

only from Mindoro Cephalostachyum.

2. Flowers not in widely scattered, dense, globose heads.

3. Spikelets very small, ovate Dinochloa.

3. Spikelets elongated, linear or linear-lanceolate.

Schizostachyum.
1. Erect.

2. Two and a half meters in height or less, only on high mountains,

wild ---- Arundinaria.

2. Clumps one to three meters in height, leaves small and whitish,

cultivated only Bambusa glaucescens.

2. More than 3 meters in height.

3. Base of clump protected with long interlaced spiny branches.

BaTnbusa spinosa.
3. Base of clump not protected with long spiny branches.

4. Culms thin walled ; mostly small or medium sized bamboos.
5. Keels of palea broadly winged; rare, known only

from Mindanao Guadua.

5. Palea not winged Schizostachyum.

4. Culms thick walled; mostly large bamboos.
5. Pericarp thin, adnate to the seed.

6. Filaments free Bambusa.

6. Filaments connate in a thin tube.... Gigantochloa.

5. Pericarp fleshy or crustaceous, separable from the

seed Dendro calamus.

12 PHILIPPINE BAMBOOS

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIES

Genus ARUNDINARIA Michaux

ARUNDINARIA N I ITAKAYAM ENSIS Hayata. Utoi).

Among the Igorots, this bamboo is known as utod. It is
the only representative of the genus found in the Philippines.
This species was originally described from the mountains of
Formosa, and is known only from Formosa and the mountains
of Luzon. It is locally very abundant, forming dense thickets,
at altitudes from 2,100 to 2,600 meters in the Mountain Province,
Luzon. This bamboo reaches a height of 2.5 meters, but in
unfavorable habitats is frequently only a few centimeters in
height. Its maximum diameter is about 1 centimeter. Its only
recorded use in the Philippines is for pipestems. A flowering
specimen is shown in Plate II.

Genus BAM B USA Schreber
1. Culms unarmed.

2. Small shrubby species 2 to 3 meters high with glaucous leaves.

B. glaucescens.
2. Coarse species of tree size.

3. Leaf -sheaths with rounded auricles B. vulgaris.

3. Leaf-sheaths with hornlike, erect processes.

4. Leaves large; spikelets glabrous; keels of the palea not

prominently ciliate B. coimuta.

4. Leaves small; spikelets densely hirsute; keels of the palea

prominently ciliate B. Tnerrillii.

1. Culms spiny B, sjnnosa.

The genus Bamhusa is represented by five species, of which
at least three appear to have been purposely introduced. It
includes the most valuable single species of the entire group
in the Philippines. With one exception, all of the species have
large, tall culms.

BAMBUSA CORNUTA Munro. LoPA.

Common name: lojja (Isinai).

Rare in the forests of Nueva Vizcaya and Benguet, known
also from Java. An erect bamboo reaching a height of 7 to 8
meters, and a culm diameter of 3 to 3.5 centimeters, with inter-
nodes 40 to 45 centimeters long. It is characterized by promi-
nent horns at the tip of the leaf sheath. A flowering specimen
is shown in Plate III.

BAMBUSA GLAUCESCENS Sieb. KawAyan-China.

Common names: kawayan-china, kawayan-sina (Tagalog).

Kawayan-china is a native of China or Japan and occurs
in the Philippines only as an introduced and cultivated plant.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIES 13

The clumps are usually from 1 to 3 meters in height, the culms
up to 2 centimeters in diameter. The culms may be 5 meters in
length but when long are usually much bent. The leaves are
from 3 to 10 centimeters long and whitish in appearance. This
species is planted for ornamental purposes and in some parts
of Manila is used as a hedge plant. The stems are used for
fishing rods.

BAMBUSA MERRILLII Gamble.

This species is known only from collections from the Caraballo
Sur mountain ranges in Nueva Vizcaya, where it grows in
forests at an altitude of about 600 meters.

It is an erect straggling species about 18 meters in height.
See Plate IV.

BAMBUSA SPINOSA Roxb. {B. blumeana Schultes f.). Spiny Bamboo.

Common names: dugian, kabugdwan, marurugi, rugian (Bikol) ; ka-
wdyan, kawdyan totoo {i. e. true bamboo), kawdyan tinik (Tagalog) ;
aon-o, batdkan, paua, kaivdyan-gid (Bisaya) ; kawdyan si-itan (Iloko) ;
bayog (Zambales) ; lam-nuan (Isinai) ; baugin (Pampanga) ; pasingan
(Cagayan) ; cana espina (Spanish).

This bamboo is the one to which the name kawayan is most
frequently applied. It is found throughout the settled areas of
the Philippines at low and medium altitudes, and is apparently
always planted, there being no valid reason for considering it
a native of the Archipelago. This bamboo was apparently pur-
posely introduced at an early date. Spiny bamboo, as well as
the other large, probably introduced species, has been cultivated
quite extensively in clearings which have since been abandoned,
so that considerable areas are now covered by virtual forests
of this species. Spiny bamboo offers considerable possibilities
as a valuable reforestation crop.

Spiny bamboo reaches a height of about 25 meters and a
culm diameter of 20 centimeters. The internodes are usually
hollow, and from 40 to 60 centimeters in length. The culms
have thick walls, becoming progressively thicker toward the
lower part of the culm. It occasionally happens that the lower
internodes are so thick walled that they become almost or quite
solid. The stem contains a large amount of silica and sometimes
an internode is completely filled with a hard white siliceous
mass, which damages any instrument use in cutting it. This
bamboo is rarely found in flower and the interval between
flowering periods is not known. It is by far the most commonly
used bamboo in the Philippines, being prized above all others by
the Filipinos for building purposes on account of its great
strength and durability. It is distinguished from all other spe-

14 PHILIPPINE BAMBOOS

cies of Philippine bamboos by the fact that it grows in large
clumps, the basal portions of which are surrounded to a height
of from 2 to 3 meters by a densely interlaced thicket of very
spiny branches, which make access to the culms exceedingly
difficult. The function of these spiny branches, apparently, is
to protect the delicate young shoots from herbivorous animals.
This species is illustrated in Plates V to VII.

The splints from green stems of this species are used exten-
sively in the manufacture of baskets and hats, it being the
most valuable species for hatmaking. It also has some com-
mercial possibilities for paper pulp. The basal portions of the
culms have been used as heads for polo mallets and for shuttles
on hand looms.

Distributed in southern China, Indo-China, Malay Peninsula,
and Malay Archipelago.

BAMBUSA VULGARIS Schrad. KawayAN-KILING.

Common names: kawayan-kiling, kawayan bayugin, kawayan hohero,
taiwandk, tetvandk (Tagalog) ; bulinau, burirau, lunas, sinambdng (Bi-
saya) ; kaboloan (Bikol).

This is a clump-forming spineless bamboo, which reaches a
height of about 17 meters or more and a diameter of about 12
centimeters. The stems are smooth, usually yellowish or yel-
lowish-green. It is usually smaller than Bambusa spinosa and
has thinner walls. This species is illustrated in Plates VIII
to X.

Kawayan-kiling is one of the building bamboos and is gen-
erally utilized in the regions where it grows for the various
purposes, such as house construction, bridges, furniture, for
which the coarse erect bamboos are adapted. It is much inferior
to Bambusa spinosa. Like the spiny bamboo, it is probably not
a native of the Philippines, but was purposely introduced in
prehistoric times on account of its general utility. The variety
st7iata Gamble is occasionally cultivated in Manila and in other
large towns for ornamental purposes ; it is readily distinguished
by its culms being bright yellow with a few green stripes. This
form is a native of China or Japan, but is now widely distributed
in cultivation.

The native country of Bambusa vulgaris is so far unknown;
it is cultivated and half wild in Asia, Africa, and America.

Genus CEPHALOSTACH YUM Munro
CEPHALOSTACHYUM MINDORENSE Gamble. Bakto.

This species is rare and known only from Mindoro. It is a
climbing species well characterized by having its flowers in

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIES 15

dense globose, widely scattered heads the larger of which are
about 2 centimeters in diameter. See Plate XL

Genus DENDROCALAMUS Nees

Spikelets large; leaves large D. latifiorus.

Spikelets medium-sized; leaves long D. curranii

Spikelets very small D. merHllianns.

This genus of large erect bamboos is represented by three
species. It is economically unimportant and none of the species
are especially abundant.

DENDROCALAMUS CURRANII Gamble.

A rare species known only from Sampaloc, Tayabas, and
the Island of Polillo off the coast of Luzon, and possibly not
distinct from Gigantochloa levis.

DENDROCALAMUS LATIFLORUS Munro. BoTONG.

Common names: botong, bolong-sina (Bikol, Bisaya) ; butnn (Bisaya) ;
IxaboloaUy patong (Bikol); kawdyan-sina (Tagalog).

This is a tall, tufted, spineless bamboo apparently of general
distribution in the central Philippines. It is frequently utilized
for building purposes, but is not considered to be good material
for basketry.

DENDROCALAMUS MERRILLIANUS Elm. Bayog.

Common names: bayog (Ilocos) ; kawdyan-bayog (Pangasinan) .

This bamboo is apparently widely distributed in the Philip-
pines. It is a tall graceful bamboo with slender stalks forming
large clumps. The culms have very thick walls and prominent
nodes. They are used for vehicle shafts and for other purposes
where great strength is desired. The green culms of this bamboo
are split and made into ropes, used particularly for hauling logs.
A flowering specimen is shown in Plate XII.

Genus DINOCHLOA Biise
1. Woody.

2. Leaves broad.

3. Lodicules absent; caryopsis globose; floral rachis glabrous.

D. scandens.
3. Lodicules present; caryopsis oblong; floral rachis pubescent.

D. pubiramea.
2. Leaves narrow; no lodicules.

3. Culms smooth; caryopsis globose D.ciliata.

3. Culms rough; caryopsis oblong D.lugoniae.

1. Herbaceous, or woody only at the base; lodicules present D. elmeri.

The genus Dinochloa is represented in the Philippines by five
species. With one exception our representatives are all scandent,
thick-walled, sylvan forms and are locally very abundant, form-
ing almost impenetrable thickets under favorable conditions.

If50091 2

16 PHILIPPINE BAMBOOS

No special economic uses are indicated for any of the forms,
yet like all bamboos they are more or less utilized by the Fili-
pinos for general purposes. They should be adapted to the same
special uses as the thick-walled scandent species of Schizos-
tachytim. The most common species is Dinochloa scandenSy
zigzag bamboo, (Plate XVIII) which is abundant and widely
distributed in the central and southern Philippines ; it is charac-
terized by its very broad leaves and is variously known as
baia in Palawan, bokaue in Balabac, bukau in Basilan, usiu,
timak, and bolokaui in Mindoro. Most of these names are also
used for the scandent species of Schizostachyum. Dinochloa
luconiae (Plate XVI) is very similar in general character to
Dinochloa scandens, but has much narrower leaves, which is
also true of Dinochloa ciliata (Plate XIV). Dinochloa luconiae
is known as baito (Tagalog) and esu (Iloko). D, pubiramea
(Plate XVII) is a broad leaved species similar to D, scandens
and distinguished chiefly by having the branches of the in-
florescence pubescent. Its local names are kandy (Bis.) and
bukao (Moro). Dinochloa elmeri (Plate XV) is a dwarfed,
half woody form growing in the mossy forest at the summits
of high mountains.

Genus GIGANTOCHLOA Kurz

GIGANTOGHLOA LEVIS (Blanco) Merr. BoLO.

Common names: kawdyan-boo, kawayan-sma, kaivdyan-puti, hoho (Ta-
galog); hokOf hold, botdng (Bisaya).

Gigantochloa levis is a stout bamboo reaching a height of 20
meters or more and a culm diameter of 20 centimeters. Its
culms are very straight and smooth, dull green, covered with
siliceous pubescence, and entirely unarmed. It is found in and
about towns in the settled areas of the Philippines, and also
in the forests. The stems are used as pipes for temporary
water supplies, as they are usually long and straight, and for
building fish traps. They are, apparently, rarely employed in
building operations, except for walls of houses, perhaps because
they are not especially durable. A flowering specimen is shown
in Plate XIX.

The Philippine specimens referred to Gigantochloa robusta
Kurz and Gigantochloa atter Kurz are not considered by Mr. E.
D. Merrill to be specifically distinct from G. levis.

Genus GUADUA Kunth
GUADUA PHILIPPINENSIS Gamble.

This is a rare species known only from a single collection from
Mindoro. The nodes are reported to be about 75 centimeters

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIES 17

long and 2.5 to 5 centimeters in diameter. The culms are thin-
walled and 4 to 6 meters in height. A cotype specimen is shown
in Plate XX.

Genus SCHIZOSTACHYUM Nees
1. Climbing.

2. Flowers in long panicles, usually from flower-bearing culms or
auxiliary on leafy ones.

3. Leaves usually broad, rounded at the base, mouth of leaf
sheaths and ligules long-bristly-ciliate.

4. Spikelets glabrous S'. diffusum.

4. Spikelets densely pubescent S^. fenixii.

3. Leaves usually narrow attenuate at the base, mouth of leaf
sheaths and ligules not or only slightly bristly.
4. Spikelets very sharply pointed; apicules of anthers

shortly hirsute S. dielsianum.

4. Spikelets acute only; apicules of anthers very long bristly.

<S. palawanense.
2. Flowers in short, terminal spikes up to 10 centimeters long; leaves

very narrow S. textorium.

1. Erect.

2. Spikelets sharply pointed, not in rounded capitula.

S. longispiculatum.
2. Spikelets sharply pointed, usually in rounded capitula; no lodicules.
3. Spikelets glabrous outside.

4. Internodes about a meter or more in length or longer.

5. lima.

4. Internodes shorter 5. brachycladum.

3. Spikelets more or less pubescent outside; anthers obtuse.

4. Spikelets densely white-hairy, both on the empty and
on the flowering glumes; leaves 1 centimeter broad.

S. hirtiflorum.
4. Spikelets shortly white-hairy only on the flowering glume;

leaves over 1.5 centimeters broad '. S. lumampao.

2. Spikelets hardly sharp-pointed, obtuse or acute, usually in long
panicles; lodicules usually present S. luzonicum.

The genus Schizostachyum is extensively developed in the Phil-
ippines. Among the bamboos it has by far the largest number
of species, and presents several of the most common and widely
distributed bamboos in the Archipelago. All of the species are
indigenous, and none of them are cultivated. The genus contains
both erect, thin-walled species, and scandent thick-walled ones,
several of which are used for special purposes. None of the
species are of large size. Most of them are sylvan or subsylvan
and usually do not occur in the open settled areas. Several
of them are gregarious and in some provinces occupy rather
large areas of land to the practical exclusion of other vegetation.

SCHIZOSTACHYUM BRACHYCLADUM Kurz.

Common names: boho (Isinai and Mindanao) ; bagdkai (Leyte) ; bagdkan
( Palawan) .

18 PHILIPPINE BAMBOOS

This is an erect bamboo about 10 meters in height and up
to 5 centimeters in diameter. A gregarious species abundant
in Palawan and Culion on dry open slopes. Reported from
Nueva Vizcaya, Leyte, Butuan, and Palawan. A flowering spec-
imen is shown in Plate XXI.

SCHIZOSTACHYUM DIFFUSUM (Blanco) Merr. Bi'kal.

Common names: bikal (Tagalog, Iloko, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Caga-
yan) ; usiu (Tagalog) ; balidro, balikdu, honghong, lo-oh (Bisaya) ; hindi,
indi, inri (Bikol) ; butor (Isinai) ; bdbui (Bikol).

Bikal is widely distributed in the forests of the Philippines
and is endemic. It is characterized not only by its habit, but
also by its very thick walls. Sometimes the lumen is almost
entirely wanting, especially in the lower parts of the stem.
The plant is well known to all Filipino woodsmen as a source
of drinking water, as water of good quality can be secured
from the internodes. In some parts of the Philippines this
bamboo is extensively used in making baskets, while it is now
beginning to attract attention for the purpose of making chairs,
for which it is adapted on account of its thick stout walls.
A flowering specimen is shown in Plate XXIV. The very closely
allied Schizostachyum dielsianum, bikal-babui, (Plate XXII) has
the same names, distribution, and uses as S. diffusum, and is
distinguished only by minor characters.

SCHIZOSTACHYUM LIMA (Blanco) Merr. Anos.

Common name: anos (Tagalog).

This endemic, erect, thin-walled bamboo is distinguished among
all the Philippine forms by its long internodes, which are usually
about one meter in length. It is sometimes called bolo and
bagakai by confusion with Schizostachyum lumampao. It is
used by the Filipinos for making blow guns, while the cortex is
hard and rough and can be used for polishing brass. It is
also used for the various purposes for which all thin-walled
bamboos are utilized, and after boiling, even for weaving fans,
cushions, and hats; broad splints prepared from it are used in
making the broad shallow baskets used for winnowing rice.
Widely distributed in the Philippines. A flowering specimen
is shown in Plate XXVII.

SCHIZOSTACHYUM LUMAMPAO (Blanco) Merr. BuHO or Cana-bojo.
Common names: cana-bojo (Spanish-Filipino); bolo, boho, lumampdu,
bokdui, kaudyan-songsong^ (Tagalog) ; bagdkan, bagdkai (Bisaya) ; biilu,
bolo (Bisaya, Iloko); ords (Bikol).

This species is endemic and widely scattered in the Philippines.
It is a thin-walled, erect, gregarious bamboo usually reaching

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIES 19

a height of about 10 meters, and often nearly exclusively occupy-
ing considerable areas. Forester Medina has surveyed two
tracts of this bamboo in Bataan Province, one containing 1,200
hectares, of which 800 hectares have a dense stand; the second
containing 650 hectares, of which more than 40 per cent is
covered with Schizostachyum lumampao. There are also very
extensive areas in other parts of Bataan, in Zambales, and in
the Cagayan Valley. Fifteen small plots of Schizostachyum lu-
mampao have been measured in Bataan Province back of the town
of Limay. These plots aggregated 3.5 hectares and covered
stands at widely separated intervals. The surveys showed an
average of 8,983 canes per hectare. One of the surveys of one
quarter of a hectare indicated a stand of 19,162 canes per hectare.

This thin-walled bamboo is the species chiefly utilized in mak-
ing the building matting known as sawale. It is also used for
making baskets, fences, fish corrals, fish poles, flutes, and for
many other purposes.

Buho has been thoroughly investigated by Richmond as a
paper-making material, and it is probably the one species of
Philippine bamboo that, without extensive cultivation, promises
commercial possibilities for this purpose. This point will be
discussed in a bulletin on paper. Observations on its rate of
growth are given later. This species is illustrated in Plate I
(frontispiece) and Plates XXVIII and XXIX.

SCHIZOSTACHYUM TEXTORIUM (Blanco) Merr. Kalbang.

Common name: kalbang (Tagalog).

This is an erect bamboo with small leaves, which is locally
abundant in the Provinces of Batangas and Rizal, Luzon. The
stems are used in the manufacture of looms, as they are very
straight and smooth. A flowering specimen is shown in Plate
XXXII.

Among the other Philippine representatives of the genus are
Schizostachyum palawanense (Plate XXXI), a scandent species
known from Palawan and Laguna; S. hirtiflorum (Plate XXVI),
a widely distributed species closely allied to and with the same
growth form as S, lumampao; S, toppingii (Plate XXXIII), erect
or subscandent, reported from Laguna, Rizal, and Mindoro;
S. curranii (Plate XXIII), scandent, a species of higher altitudes
in northern Luzon; S. luzonicum (Plate XXX), known only from
Zambales; and S. fenixii (Plate XXV), reported from Abra,
Cagayan, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, and Panay, known as paua in
Iloilo, and puser in Abra, Luzon, and there utilized in the manu-
facture of baskets.

20 PHILIPPINE BAMBOOS

PLANTING OF BAMBOO

Until very recently almost no reliable information concerning
the rates of growth of planted Philippine bamboo was available.
For this reason, Mr. H. M. Curran and Dr. F. W. Foxworthy
in 1912 started a bamboo plantation at the Division of Investiga-
tion of the Bureau of Forestry at Los Bafios, Laguna, the direc-
tion of the planting being intrusted to Rangers de Mesa and
Villamil. This plantation was started on a rather dry hill on
steep slopes, covered with a mixture of tall grass and small
second-growth trees. The material selected for planting was
from shoots 1 to 2 years old or older from poorly grown plants
which were overtopped and not well supplied with light, and
from upper twigs. A few butts were also used. The length
of cuttings was from 60 centimeters to 2 meters. The cuttings
were collected 3 to 36 hours before planting, and were laid in
water at the edge of a stream whenever it was not possible to
plant immediately. During the time that this work was done
the weather was very rainy and so there was less than the usual
amount of drying out. The planting was done between August
29 and October 10, 1912. The implements employed were mat-
tocks and heavy pointed sticks, the mattocks being used only
when rocky soil was encountered or when very large pieces were
to be planted. In all there were planted 1,015 cuttings of
Bambusa spinosa, 145 of Bambusa vulgaris, and 105 of Gigan-
tochloa levis. The area of the plantation was 2.2 hectares.
More than half of the area was covered with a dense tangle of
small trees and climbing bamboo. All of the small brush and
climbing bamboo was cut, but some of the larger trees were
left to shade the young plants. Where the bamboo was shaded
it has done better than it has in the open. This may perhaps
be due to the fact that the planting was done toward the end
of the rainy season so that the young shoots were exposed to
dryer conditions than they would have been if planted earlier.

On January 10, 1914, the living bamboos were counted; these
included 349 individuals of Bambusa spinosa or 34 per cent of
the original number planted, 46 of B, vulgaris or 32 per cent,
and 6 of Gigantochloa levis or 6 per cent. This low percentage
of success was probably due in part to several avoidable causes.
The planting was done toward the close of the rainy season,
so that young plants did not have as favorable moisture condi-
tions as they would have had if planted earlier. Again the
methods of planting, as previously described, were not favorable,
while some of the young plants are known to have been destroyed
by cattle ; moreover, the selection of material was poor, and the

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIES 21

site unfavorable. The best material for planting is from stumps,
which, though harder to prepare, will probably be cheapest in the
long run. Small twigs are much harder to handle than larger
pieces. The cutting should be planted oblique to the ground.
Planting material should be taken from full size shoots which are
not fully mature. Subsequent careful planting of small numbers
of these same bamboos in the early part of the rainy season
gave 100 per cent success.

During the year 1914, blanks in the plantation were filled.

Bamboo cuttings, at first, send up thin whiplike shoots and '
it is only after a considerable period that regular culms are
produced. The number and size of these culms increases yearly
until mature size is reached.

In Table 1, from a report by Ranger Oro, is given a summary
of the height of the culms in December, 1915; from this table,
it will be seen that in three years some of the culms had reached
a height of from 8 to 9 meters, but that most of them were
much smaller than this.

Table 1. — Heights of bamboo clumps at Division of Investigation, Bureau
of Fo7^estry, Los Banos, Lagiina, P. I., December, 1915, three years
after planting.

I The fij^ures in the table give the number of clumps.]

Height in meters.

species. ■ I ii 1

ki^ 2. j 2-^- ^ 3-4. : 4-5. 5-6.16-7.

Bambusa spinosa . _. 85' 59, 65

Bambusa vulgaris 11 ; 12 12

27 16 I 13
6 3 I 1

Gigantochloa levis | . 1 1 j 2

10

10

1

1

1

2

In Table 2, also from a report by Ranger Oro, is given a
summary of the height of the clumps and the diameter of the
canes in October, 1917. It will be seen that, five years after
the original planting, most of the culms were still small, but
26 clumps of Bambusa spinosa, one of B, vulgaris and one of
Gigantochloa levis were between 13 and 15 meters in height
and seven of Bambusa spinosa over 15 meters in height. Bam-
busa spinosa had produced 80 culms, 7 centimeters in diameter;
71, 8 centimeters; 29, 9 centimeters; and 17, 10 centimeters in
diameter; while Gigantochloa levis had produced 3 culms, 11
centimeters in diameter. The culms of Bambusa vulgaris were
smaller, the largest being 8 centimeters in diameter. These
figures show that in five years, the planted bamboo had produced
some usable culms; and, judging from the difference in the

22

PHILIPPINE BAMBOOS

size of the bamboo in 1915 and 1917, it may be predicted that
a considerable number of usable canes would be produced in
another two years.

Table 2. — Heights of bamboo clumps and diameter's of caries at Division
of Investigation, Bureau of Forestry, Los Bancs, Laguna, P. /.,
October, 1917, five years after planting.

[Figures represent number of clumps.]

Height of clumps in meters, October, 1917.

Species.

Bambusa spinosa -
Bambusa vulgaris
Gigantochloa levis .

Less I
i than 1. j

I 2

1

I

32

7-9. i 9-11. I 11-13.

- i- -; -

53

5 i 7 ^

1 i 1 ■

55
5
1

13-15. i 15-17.

[Figures represent number of canes.]

Diameter of canes in centimeters,
October, 1917.

Species.

Bambusa spinosa.
Bambusa vulgaris
Gigantochloa levis

Less
than 5.

994
153

6.

i
7. i

8.

9.

!

10.

11.

97

80

71

29

17 i

-

10

5|
3 1

1

4
4

8

2

2

3

In Table 3 is given a summary of the number of cuttings
planted in 1912 and the condition of the plantation at subsequent
dates.

Table 3. — Summary of bamboo cuttings planted at Division of Investiga-
tion, Bureau of Forestry, Los Banos, Laguna, P. I., in 1912, and
condition of plantation at subsequent dates.

Number of cuttings planted in 1912

Number of clumps alive, January 10, 1914

Per cent of original planting alive, January 10, 1914

Number of clumps, December, 1915

Total number of canes, December, 1915

Average height, December, 1915 _ . .

Number of clumps, October, 1917

Total number of canes, October, 1917

Average number of canes per clump, October, 1917

Greatest diameter of canes in centimeters, October, 1917

Greatest height in meters, October. 1817 _.

Average height in October, 1917

Species.

Bambusa
spinosa.

Bambusa
vulgaris.

Gigan-
tochloa.
levis.

1.015

145

105

349

46

6

34.38

3L72

5.71

285

47

7

628

98

30

3.01

2.81

5.57

269

40

7

1.440

183

66

5.04

4.56

9.40

10

8

11

16.87

13. 11

13.14

8.51

6.87

10.40

PLANTING OF BAMBOO

23

The area planted was 22,000 square meters. The time em-
ployed in selecting cuttings was 200 hours, in clearing 207
hours, and in planting 140 hours, making a total of 547 hours.
Assuming labor at 10 centavos per hour, the cost of planting
would be 25 pesos per hectare, planting being at intervals of 2 to
3 meters. During the first four years the plantation was cleaned
twice a year, which included the cutting back of vines and
felling and pruning of trees. This was done at a cost of about
10 pesos per hectare, per year, with labor at 10 centavos per
hour.

A second bamboo plantation was started by Dr. F. W. Fox-
worthy at the Division of Investigation, Bureau of Forestry, at
Los Bailos, during June, 1917. This plantation covered 2 hec-
tares and was planted with a single species, Bambusa spinosa.
The planting was done in the months of June and July during
the early part of the rainy season. The ground was covered
largely with small trees and climbing bamboos, there being
very little grass. The climbing bamboos were cut, but the trees
left standing. The planting was done with stump and stem
cuttings. The stump cuttings used had roots and were about
a third of a meter in length. They were planted either in
a slanting position or erect. A stem cutting consisted of a
segment with a node at either end. A slit was made in the
internode, and then the whole segment buried in the ground,
except that the slit was left uncovered to permit water being
poured into the internode. In all there were planted 225 stump
cuttings and 800 stem cuttings.

All of the living shoots were counted and measured during
December, 1917, and again at the end of June, 1918, when the
plants were about a year old. The results of the measurements
are given in Table 4. An examination of Table 4 shows that
at the end of the year 59 per cent of the stump cuttings and
40 per cent of the stem cuttings were alive. A comparison of
these figures with those given in Table 3 indicates a greater per-
centage of success in the second than in the first plantation.

Table 4. — Record of plantation of Bamhusa spinosa at Division of Inves-
tigation, Bureau of Forestry, Los Banos, Philippine Islands.

stump cuttings.
Stem cuttings. __

Number
of cut-
tings
planted
June
July,
1917.

225

800

December, 1917.

Number
living.

198
560

Height,
centi-
meters.

150 !
150 ,

Percent-
age liv-
ing.

June, 1918.

Number
living

320 I

Height,
centi-
meters.

210

Percent-
age liv-
ing.

59.1
40.0

24 PHILIPPINE BAMBOOS

There is, however, reason to beheve that much better results
than those recorded in Table 4 could be obtained as the dry
season of 1918 was unusually severe and the plants were not
irrigated. It will be noticed that there was a high percentage of
mortality between December, 1917, and June, 1918. Moreover,
many of the plants were probably subjected to too much shade,
as they were freed from vines only once during the year and in
general those plants which survived received more light than
those which died.

The total cost of selecting, transporting, and planting the cut-
tings were 72.82 pesos per thousand. This cost was considerably
more than in the case of the 1912 plantation, which is accounted
for by the greater care used in the selection of cuttings for the
second than the first plantation. The superior cuttings used in
1917, however, gave much better results than the poorer ones
employed in 1912.

It appears from the data derived from the planting at Los
Baiios that the commercial planting of bamboo on a large scale
would be very profitable and that bamboo should be a valuable
reforestation crop.

A number of bamboos, other than those here considered, have
been propagated from hard-v/ood cuttings at the Division of
Investigation of the Bureau of Forestry at Los Banos, and it is
probable that all or most Philippine bamboos can be thus re-
produced.

GROWTH OF MATURE CLUMPS

Actual measurements of growth of canes in mature clumps
are available for only three species, Bambusa spinosa, Bambusa
vulgaris, and Gigantochloa levis. A clump of Bambusa spinosa
sends up yearly a number of shoots, the number in some cases
being as large as 130. In clumps from which the mature canes
are harvested, the number of new shoots may exceed the num-
ber left in the clump when the new culms are produced. A
considerable proportion of the young shoots die before reaching
maturity, many of them while still quite small. In Table 5 are
given observations on the number of shoots produced by 8 clumps
of Bambusa spinosa. The greatest number of canes produced
by any clump recorded in Table 5 is 128; these grew from a
clump having 49 mature canes. However, only 24, or 19 per
cent of the 128 canes, reached maturity. The average of all
the canes produced, by the 8 clumps, which reached maturity
is 28.5 per cent. In all, the number of mature canes produced
is 46.5 per cent of the total mature canes originally in the
clumps.

GROWTH OF MATURE CLUMPS

25

Table 5. — Number of shoots prodticed and yield of mature living canes
from 8 clumps of Bamhiisa spinosa at Division of Investigation^ Bureau
of Forestry, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippine Islands. Data from report
by Ranger Oro.

- -

- ■ —

Total

number

of mature

canes.

Total
number
of shoots.

*Jew shoot

Total
number
of dead.

3.

Total
number
of living.

Percent-
age liv-
ing.

Percent-
age yield.

39

78

58

20

25.5

51

24

29

24

5

17.5

21

18

20

10

10

50

55.5

21

30

22

8

26.5

38

8

12

9

3

25

37.5

13

34

25

9

26.5

69

31

35

19

16

45.5

51.5

49

128

104

24

19

49

Ave

rag-e

28.5

46.5

Observations were also made on 5 clumps of Bambusa vulgaris.
The results are given in Table 6. Thirty-eight per cent of the
young shoots reached maturity, v^hich is 6 per cent of the original
number in the clump. Bamhusa vulgaris produced fewer canes
than Bambusa spinosa, but showed the same general phenomena
which have just been described for Bambusa spinosa.

Table 6. — Number of shoots produced and yield of mature living canes
from 5 clumps of Bambusa vulgaris at Division of Investigation, Bureau
of Forestry, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippine Islands. Data from, report
by Ranger Oro.

Total

New shootE

.

Percent-
age livi-
ing.

Percent-
age yield.

number

of mature

canes.

Total
number
of shoots.

Total
number
of dead.

Total
number
of living.

48

48

34

14

29

29

9

24

13

11

46

122

30 I 39

30

9

23

30

22 20

12

8

40

36

44 52

25

27

52

61

Ave

rage

38 1 56

1

Gigantochloa levis also produces a very large number of new
shoots, many of which fail to mature. Records obtained from
5 clumps of Gigantochloa levis are given in Table 7. It will be
seen from this table that 31 per cent of the new shoots reached
maturity while the yield of the new culms is 54 per cent- of
the number originally in the clump.

26

PHILIPPINE BAMBOOS

Table l.—Numher of shoots produced and yield of mature living canes
from 5 clumps of Gigantochloa levis at Division of Investigation,
Bureau of Forestry, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippine Islands. Data
from report by Ranger Oro.

1

■ ■■ -

Total

1 number

■ of

mature

canes.

New shoots.

1 1 ' '
Total Total Total
number number j number

of of of
shoots, j dead. 1 living.

Per-
centage
living.

Per-
centage
yield.

22

36

25 ' 11

31

50

16

39

27 12

31

75

12

26

19 7

27

58.5

10

14

10 4

28

40

60

72

45 27

37.5

45

Ave

rage

31

54

The death of the young shoots is due to various causes ; some
of them are attacked by insects or rats ; others are broken by the
wind; while still others die without any very apparent reason,
but probably because under the existing conditions more shoots
are produced than can be matured by the clump. This may
be due to scarcity of food, water or other causes, but con-
cerning this point we have no information.

The culms of Bamhiisa spinosa and Bamhusa vulgaris start
to grow during the latter part of the dry season, but make
very slow growth until the rainy season. Gigantochloa levis
starts to grow about the beginning of the rainy season. The
period of rapid growth is in the latter part of the rainy season.
Bambusa spinosa, Bambusa vulgaris, and Gigantochloa levis
reach about full height in approximately five months. This
means that for this period there is an average daily growth
in large culms of Bambusa spinosa of about 17 centimeters,
in Bambusa vulgaris of about 13 centimeters, and in Gigantochloa
levis of 13 centimeters.

Beginning with 1912 and extending up to the present time,
measurements of the rate of growth of bamboos have been
taken by the Division of Investigation of the Bureau of Forestry
at Los Banos, Laguna, by means of a measured stick. The most
extensive series of measurements of large culms were made by
Ranger Oro in 1915. From this series we have selected for
presentation in the following tables all shoots of Bambusa spinosa
which reached a height of more than 20 meters, and of Bambusa
vulgaris and Gigantochloa levis which reached a height of more
than 12 meters. This selection has been made so as to repre-
sent the growth of only large commercial culms.

In Table 8 are given the measurements of the rates of growth
of Bambusa spinosa. The first measurement was taken on June

GROWTH OF MATURE CLUMPS

27

5, 1915, while a considerable proportion of the canes were not
measured until after this date. The height at the time of the
first measurement is given in the first row of figures in the table.
Each column shows the growth figures for a single culm during
successive weeks, the first space in each column being for the
week ending June 12. When measurements were not started
until later than June 5, the first measurement of growth is
recorded lower in the column, the number of blanks appearing
before the first measurement of growth indicating the number
of weeks after June 5 that the first measurement was taken.
It will be seen that, as is usual in the growth of plant parts,
the rate is at first slow and gradually increases until it reaches a
maximum, after which it decreases as the culms assume mature
size. The most rapid growth usually occurs nearer the end than
the beginning of the growth period and takes place in the
latter part of the rainy season. Three of the shoots showed
a weekly growth in excess of 3 meters; the fastest rate was
3.17 meters, or an average of 45 centimeters a day for a week.

Table 8. — Growth of culms of Bambusa spinosa, at Division of Investiga-
tion, Bureau of Forestry, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippine Islands.
Data from report by Ranger Oro.

.24

.04
.13

.03

.09 '

Height in meters at first measure

;ment.
.40
2 weeks.

.18 :

.29 I .06 .40 i
Growth in meters durin

.09 .00 \

.16 .02

1
.14

? successiv(

.31

.27

;;;:;;;:!

.21 '
.56

.08 ;

.12

.13

.09 !

.20

.03 .21 '.

.84

.14

.48
.73

.16 1
.11 1

.74

.82

.04 .50 .
.04 .59

.00 ■

1.19 :

1.21 :

.41 ,
.81

.45

.29

.95

.43 1

1.35

.11 1.03

.02 :

1.39

1.24

.71

.85

1.43

.83 :

1.81

.15 1. 23 i

.10,

2.48

1.22

1.11

1.13

1.57

1.10 ;

2.32

.31 1.68

.54 i

2.45

1.68

1.20

1.51

1.56

1.41 ;

2.19

.72 1.65 i

.89

1.88

1.12 ,

1.72

1.67

1.34

1.29 '

2.97

.86 1.76 1

.91 1

1.99

2.96 ;

2.04

2.76

1.22

1.49 i

1.33

1. 15 ; 1. 26

1.56 <

2.92 1

2.40 ]

1.81

2.33

1.37

1.87 ;

.94

1.20 i 1.75

1.63 :

1.84 !

1.33 1

2.63

2.02

1.48

1.73 ;

1.02

1.09 1.91

2.44

1.63 ':

2.88

1.58

2.51

1.56

1.89 !

1.10

1.77 ; 1.96

2.12

1.84 1

2.42 ;

2.62

1.60 ;

1.60

2.10

2.15

2.59 ' 1.85 i

2.18

1.21

2.30 ^

1.75

1.40 i

2.85 1

2.75 1

1.65

2.93 : 2.34 1

1.79 !...

!

1.71

1.66 '

2.44 j

2.33

2.02

3.05 ; 1.54

2.09 ,.--

j

1

1.05

1.57

1.53 '

1.94
1.40 ■__.

1.26

2.88 ■ .75
1.18^

.92 : i

j i

Total hen

2.84 ...

.94
.68

1.15

.71

1.37 '._.

'

.58

.80l._.

1.04

j

i

...
?ht.

21.29

22.31

23.36

24.00

24.41

21.10

1
22.41 I

21.66 i

24.04

23.30 '

28 PHILIPPINE BAMBOOS

Table 8. — Growth of culms of Bamhusa spinosa, etc. — Continued.

Height in meters at first measurement.

.32

.23

.06 i
.13 I
.19i
.70
.99 '
1.22
1.60
1.00
2.00
2.75
2.85
3.07
2.61
2.68
1.47
.96

.39

.35

.27 '■

.24

Growth in meters during successive weeks.

.16

.50

.85
1.07
1.34
1.64
1.21
2.88

2.24 :

2.31 I
2.89 i
2.03 I
1.89 I
1.43 j
.91

.14
.20
.45
.77
1.19
1.23
1.79
2.13
1.80
2.65
2.94
2.15
2.57
1.72
.75

.56 ^
.98 I
1.11 i
1.73
1.97
2.35
2.80
2.86
1.98
2.33
1.93
1.11
.78

.12
.17
.56
.94
1.29
1.49
2.09
2.06
2.25
2.64
2.63
2.43
1.94
1.01
.73

.20
.22
.70
1.04
1.10
1.65
2.11
2.51
1.97
2.89
2.91
2.30
1.09

1.6

.15
.34
.92
.95
1.56
2.33
1.79
2.23
2.20
2.36
2.58
1.49
1.94
.90

.54

.10
.20
.56
1.01
1.49
1.48
2.08
2.13
2.35
2.38
2.76
2.46
1.74
1.18
.77

.44
.97
1.25
1.43
1.92
2.26
2.18
2.67
2.68
2.94
1.63
1.23
.91

Total height.

24.01

23.79

22.87

22.84

23.05

From the table it would appear that the period of most rapid
growth of any individual culm depends rather on the height of
the culm than on the season.

The culms for which measurements are given in Table 8 were
all large or fairly large; smaller culms show slower rates of
growth, but mature in about the same length of time.

In Table 9 are given measurements of the growth of culms
of Bambiisa vulgaris. This table is constructed in the same
manner as the previous table for Bambusa spinosa. The rates
of growth are slower than those for Bambusa spinosa, as might
be expected from the fact that Bambusa vulgaris is a smaller
bamboo. These figures show even more clearly than do those
for Bambusa spinosa that the time of most rapid growth depends
more on the stage of the development of the culm than on the
season.

GROWTH OF MATURE CLUMPS

29

Table 9. — Growth of cuhns of Bambusa vulgaris, at Division of Inves-
tigation, Bureau of Forestry, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippine Islands.
Data from report by Ranger Oro.

Heig-ht in meters at first measurement.

r ""T ~ i " " " ^ '

.20 .14 j .45 .12 .18 .12 I . 16 ! .03 ' .05

I

...

- ._.

— -

Growth

n meters during successive

weeks.

.40

.00

!

.00

01

.91
.92
1.34

.00
.02
.00

.07
.00
.02

.03
.04
.03

.12

■

.00

.01

.06

.00

.96

.00

;

.04

.04

.06

.02

.08

.08

.09

1.60

.08

.00

.01

.09

.05

.17

.08

.07 ■

.10

.03

1.42

.17

.14

.06

.12

.14

.17

.15

.06

.20

.04

1.71

.35

.46

.14

.25

.28

.73

.39

.10

.51

.46

1.41

.26

.56 '

.24

.16

.98

.93

.83

.38

.84

.94

2.26

1.09

1.08

1.13

.82

.99

.97

1.04

.89

1.05

1.29

1.28

1.20

1.11

1.56

1.06

1.01

.72

1.11

.94 1

1.01

1.26

.19

1.20

1.12

1.38

1.00

1.08

.85

1 50

1.32

1.37

1.30

.17

1.14

1.12 ;

1.19

.79

.65

1.04

1.56

.72

.82

.81

.14

1.24

.91,

1.63

.94

1.26

.98

.58

1.43

1.40

1.49

.14

1.68

1.85!

1.40

1.36

1.25

1.20

1.07

1.22

1.42

2.10

1.43

1.53!

1.80

1.35

2.02

1.21

1.55

1.75 ;

1.70 '
1.35

1.78
1.80
1.05

1.60
.35
.23

1.52
1.15

.85

1.30 !
1.25
1.25 i

1.40
1.00
1.80

1.65
.90
.70

1.05
.98
1.35

1.32

.45

.85

1.70

.65

1.36

1.00 ,
.92
.62
.41

1.04
1.01
.49
.29

.92

.91 :

.50
• .15

.65
.20

.94

.40

i

.23

1

■ 1

Tot

al heigh

1
ts.

-

-

16. 18

15.05

16.38

12.13

15. 30

14.42

14.81

15.55

12.35

13. 25

12.05

Measurements of growth of culms of Gigantochloa levis are
given in Table 10. This species sends up its shoots in general
later than do Bambusa spinosa and Bambusa vulgaris. Measure-
ments were started on a few shoots which had commenced to
develop on June 5, but only one of these shoots reached maturity
and then produced only a small culm. The measurements of
this individual have not been included in our table on account
of the small size attained. In general the shoots did not com-
mence to develop in 1915 until July. The date of the first

30

PHILIPPINE BAMBOOS

measurements of culms given in Table 9 is July 3. Except for
the later development of the culms, Gigantochloa levis shows the
same general growth phenomena as Bambusa spinosa and Bam-
busa vulgaris, but the rates of growth, according to our tables,
are intermediate.

Table 10. — Growth of culms of Gigantochloa levis, at Division of Inves-
tigation, Bureau of Forestry, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippine Islands.
Data from report by Ranger Oro.

.05

Heigh
.10

t in meters at first ir

leasurei
.10

nent.
.20

.15

^

.09 :

.09

.24

.37 :

Growth

in meters d

uring successive

weeks.

.03
.02

.05

.04
.05
.07

1

14 1

.08

.08 ;

.12

.01 '

. ! -

.33 1

.07 1

.02

.11

.11 i

.16

.03

.13 L

.88 i

.20 1

.08

.11

.10

.32

.01 ;

.30

.01 ;

1.14 :

.16 '

.01

.23

.18

,88

.01

.49

.10 1

1.80 1

.58 i

.23

.60

.49

1.21 :

.01 I

1.14 1

.07 :

2.04 !

.92 1

.27

1.13

.92

1.58

.01 '

1.69

.14

1.57 j

.68 :

.64 .

1.16

1.05 ■

1. 19

.33 1

1.00 1

.26'

1.30

1.29

1.12

1.22

.98

1.48

.22 :

1.19

.72 •

1. 15

2.73

1.11

1 81

1.63 '

.99 1

.11 \

1.81 i

1.45 1

.75

1.88

1.01

1.55

1.90

2.28

1.30 :

1.85

1.55

1.41

.87

2.16

1.97

1.67

1.20

1.90

1.57

2.35 '•

1.09

1.75

2.60

1.65

1.35

1.35

2.70

.99

2.10 i

.63

1.49

1.05
1.11

1.00
.50

1.45
.90

.92 1

.57 :

2.00
1.47

.70
.30 ;

1.05 .
1.20 '

.78

j

.33

.94
.50

.30
.20
.16

.50 1

.16 L-

.22 \

.92 .

.50 :

.20

.95 _

Total heights.

1
13.90 !

13. 00

13.96

1
13. 56 '

1
14.71 ;

12. 49

1
13.36 j

1
12. 10 1

14. 60

GROWTH OF MATURE CLUMPS 31

Table 10. — Growth of culms of Gigantochloa levis, etc. — Continued.

.21

Height in meters at first measurement.
.22 .23 .72 .24 .22 .31

Growth in

meters d

uring successive weeks.

1
.68 ,.-

1.10 --

1.68

i

.09 _

.13 L

.19

.33

.20

.02

.08

1.60

.10,

.74

.57

.11

.02

.31

.01

.35

2.18

.09 1

1.06

.99

.11

.11

.69

.02

1.16

1.61

.02

1.41

1.46 ,

.11

.12

1.31 j

.13

1.20 i

.59 ,

.36 ,

1.66

1.66 :

.27

.21

1.76 .

.18

1.90

.50 ^

1.10 i

1.38

2.00

.64

.51

1.55 i

.60

1.60

2.09 :

1.52 i

1.50

1.33

1.20

1.20

2.05 :

1.17

1.80 ;

1.20 ,

2.26

1.90

1.98

1.17

1.10

1.93 ,

1.35

1.96 i

.93

1.49

1.40

2.36

1.43

2.27

2.27

2.00

.77

.12 1

2.03

1.15

1.34

1.66

2.03

1.15

2.00

1.75 ..

1.40

.95

.90 :

1.49

1.70

1.20

2.75
1.35

1.35 ..

.83

1.30
.93

.60
.50

.70 ;
.30

1.80
1.35

1.20

.78

1.20

.27

1.15

.75
.40

.26 L

.64

.30

.30

.45

.78
.18

!

1_

1

1

.'.._

_..'

1

14.10

15.24

Total heights
15.00 I 13.67 ,

15.10

15. 90

16.20

11.90

12.76

Osmaston ^ found that Dendro calamus giganteus at Dehra
Dun, India, began to develop new culms toward the middle of
the rainy season and that these did not complete their growth
until two months after the rains normally ceased. It would
appear from this that all bamboos do not behave alike in respect
to their season of growth.

* Osmaston, B. B., Rate of Growth of Bamboos, Indian Forester, Vol.
44 (1918), page 52.

160091 3

32 PHILIPPINE BAMBOOS

Ranger Mabesa has made counts of the number of shoots
produced in one season on two areas of Schizostachyum lu-
mampao, each area consisting of 100 square meters. The two
areas together contained 340 canes and produced 35 shoots,
or 10 per cent of the original number. All canes were cut from
two smaller-sized plots in May, 1917, and the number of new
canes counted in November, 1917. These two plots originally
contained 221 canes. After the clearing they sent up a large
number of shoots about the size of a lead pencil and 10 usable
canes, which is only 4.5 per cent of the original number. This
would indicate that it requires some years for this bamboo to
regain its original density when once completely cut-over.

COST OF HARVESTING AND PRICES

Data on the cost of harvesting were collected during the year
1916 on the College of Agriculture farm at Los Baiios, Laguna.
One man was employed for a total of 91 days, during which
time 1,000 canes of Bambusa spinosa were harvested, an average
of 11 canes per day. The cost of labor was 80 centavos per day,
making the total cost of harvesting 1,000 canes 72.80 pesos or
an average per cane of 7.28 centavos. In the same locality
these canes sold at 4 pesos per dozen.

Bamboo sold in Manila is floated down the river from the
country behind or across Manila Bay. In Manila the present
prices for canes in the river are: First-class canes, 32 pesos
per hundred; second-class canes, 27 pesos per hundred; and
third-class canes, from 18 to 20 pesos per hundred. The cost
of floating bamboo to Manila is very small, as rafts containing
large numbers of canes can be operated by a very few men.

PLATE II. ARUNDINARIA NIITAKAYAMENSIS HAYATA.

PLATE III. BAMBUSA CORNUTA MUNRO.

PLATE IV. BAMBUSA MERRILLII GAMBLE. TYPE SPECIMEN.

PLATE V. BAMBUSA SPINOSA ROXB.

PLATE VI. BAMBUSA SPINOSA ROXB

PLATE VII. BAMBUSA SPINOSA ROXB.

t^^^S^HySr'^fll&H

Sfliri ' ^y^'- j'yHS^ -^^JBrii

iJri^gjTSb^AagMgj

^pf^^s

Rh|^Bp<ji& *'>I^^p^^EsR itfcj

^^^^1

-li^SB

ifllKMlCT%l^rqa

^^^^

!l- '^ ^M^^^^ioxjflHWI

^"^^o^^SbSl^^fHH

'^m^ 1/ .^i/ vT^/wf " * xT '^K. tMJET

■Wg j^OMj^SKj^ -J^^^^j^rat^^HHH

^^^g

^P^aB

^^^^^^^M^

^'^ >^^*''-J^''^^-^ r^'

l^lB^^a^S

I^^B Jl/ /''jbM MwB^^KMJll^w^^y

l^^^p

^^^^Jftl^

^^^^^

i^^^l

^!^^^

!#'

HP

** 1

aK*.«.''r

1

Ir^^l^H

niRflH

■ 1

1

illH

1 1 /^ ^ r^/

R^BrnwAtSr^^MiBvik. ^ ^tUSmsMMff^r

1 / JMI

'kmrnm^

^SP^^. 1\ ;-.>

■*"»'■ • ^ . #j* ^'" J" '^J^-* •^^/^"'^•a^M y,%'U

^BPw^yM^

BESsSO"r':j*''A.tf\'

BE l~?jT^^ ki

^^n^^^

^?^.^.,^>-v/;;

wH^ W^MlffilHS^^T^SI^imir'i*' JlE

PLATE VIII. BAMBUSA VULGARIS SCHRAD.

PLATE IX. BAMBUSA VULGARIS SCHRAD.

PLATE X. BAMBUSA VULGARIS SCHRAD.

PLATE XI. CEPHALOSTACHYUM MINDORENSE GAMBLE. COTYPE SPECIMEN.

PLATE XII. DENDROCALAMUS MERRILLIANUS ELM.

i^^k^

PLATE XIII. DENDROCALAMUS MERRILLIANUS ELM. COTYPE SPECIMEN.

PLATE XIV. DINOCHLOA CILIATA KURZ.

PLATE XV. DINOCHLOA ELMERI GAMBLE.

PLATE XVI. DINOCHLOA LUCONIAE (MUNRO) MERR.

160091 4

PLATE XVII. DINOCHLOA PUBIRAMEA GAMBLE. TYPE SPECIMEN.

PLATE XVIli. DINOCHLOA SCANDENS 0. KUNTZE.

10 cm

PLATE XIX. GIGANTOCHLOA LEVIS (BLANCO) MERR.

PLATE XX. GUADUA PHILIPPINENSIS GAMBLE. COTYPE SPECIMEN.

(7

v^/c^^

PLATE XXI. SCHIZOSTACHYUM BRACHYCLADUM KURZ.

PLATE XXII. SCHIZOSTACHYUM DIELSIANUM (PILGER) MERR.

PLATE XXIII. SCHIZOSTACHYUM CURRANII GAMBLE.

^

l/f i .

{

V

¥lij

-m

Km m

«

Wm

^

1

'^^^^^mS^'>^M

i^r

f.

/

nl

^m^^^^

^

—

\

^P^^^^^

^^

—

s 1

^^^"^y

fPi^aSHB

—

PLATE XXIV. SCHIZOSTACHYUM DIFFUSUM (BLANCO) MERR.

PLATE XXV. SCHIZOSTACHYUM FENIXII GAMBLE. COTYPE SPECIMEN.

PLATE XXVI. SCHIZOSTACHYUM HIRTIFLORUM HACK. COTYPE SPECIMEN.

PLATE XXVII. SCHIZOSTACHYUM LIMA (BLANCO) MERR.

PLATE XXVIII. SCHIZOSTACHYUM LUMAMPAO (BLANCO) MERR.

oV

o
<

Q.
<

I

o

<

\-

o

N

X

o

a:
o

I-
<

q:
o

PLATE XXX. SCHIZOSTACHYUM LUZONICUM GAMBLE. COTYPE SPECIMEN.

PLATE XXXI. SCHIZOSTACHYUM PALAWANENSE GAMBLE. TYPE SPECIMEN.

PLATE XXXII. SCHIZOSTACHYUM TEXTORIUM (BLANCO) MERR. / \\ I ^^

160091 5 ( oP

PLATE XXXIII. SCHIZOSTACHYUM TOPPINGII GAMBLE. COTYPE SPECIMEN.

cV

TO Rf"NrW PHONE 7^t-1 194
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116 "i

C/,n

Wo

CJE_

'iMCliimijA /}'^iss-SL(f-n

SW3

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3111 5oioy> Mcu-te - gtxi-kX q rc i

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UNIVERSITV
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%v

BtlllEAU OF POKESTRY

MANILA, raiLIPPINE ISLAJTDS

Bulletin No. 1 (X903). — Report on investigations made in Java in t^e year
' 1902. By Elmer D. Merrill. Out of print,
BiiUetin 'No. 2 (1906). — The charcoal industry of the Philippine Islands.

* By Wm. M. Maule. Out of print
Bulletin No. 3 (1906). — A compilation of notes on india rubber and gutta-
percha. Out of print.
Bulletin No. 4 (1906).— I. Mechanical tests, properties, and uses of thirty

Philippine woods, il. Philippine sawmills, lumber inarket, j^nd prices.>

By Rolland Gardner. Out of print
Bulletin No. 5 (1906).— A preliminary working plan for the public forest

tract of the Insular Lumber Company, Negros Occidental, P. 1. By H.

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Bulletin No. 6 (1908). — A preliminary working plan for the public forest

tract of the Mindoro Lumber and Logging Company, Bongabon, Mindoro,

P, I. By M. L. Merritt, and H. N. Whitford. Out of print.
Bulletin No. 7 (1907). — ^A preliminary check list of the principal commercial
- timbers of the Philippine Islands, By H. N. Whitford. Out of print:
Bulletin No. 8 (1908).— The forests of Mindoro. By Melvin L* Merritt.

Out of print
Bulletin No. 9 (1909). — A Philippine substitute for lignum-vitae. By W. I.

Hutchinson. 60 centavos.*
Bulletin No. 10 (1911).— The forests of the Philippines. I. Forest types and

products. II. The principal forest trees. By H. N. Whitford. 2.50 pesos.
Bulletin No, 11 (1912). — The uses of Philippine woods. Out of print.
Bulletin No. 12 (1912). — Volume tables for round timber. Compiled by

William Klemme. Out of print
Bulletin No. 13 (1915). — Ipil-ipil. A firewood and reforestation crop. By

D. M. Mathews. 50 centavos.
Bulletin No. 14 (1916). — Commercial woods of the Philippines; their pre-

parationand uses. By E. E. Schneider. 2 pesos.
Bulletin No. 15 (1918). — Philippine bamboos. By William H. Brown anj

Arthur F. Fischer. 1.50 pesos.
BuUetii^ No. 16 (1918).— Paper materials from Philippine forest areas* By

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