''Bambusa tulda'', or Indian timber bamboo (alternatively spineless Indian bamboo or Bengal bamboo), is considered to be one of the most useful of

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

species. It is native to the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia (historically known as Indochina and the Indochinese Peninsula) is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to th ...

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...

, and

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

, and naturalized in

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Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

, and parts of

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.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> ''B. tulda'' is used extensively by the

paper pulp Pulp is a fibrous lignocellulosic material prepared by chemically, semi-chemically, or mechanically isolating the cellulosic fibers of wood, fiber crops, waste paper, or rags. Mixed with water and other chemicals or plant-based additives, pul ...

industry in India. It can grow to a height of 15 m and a thickness of 8 cm. The single most important fact about Bambusa tulda is its incredible tensile strength; up to 60,000 pounds (27,000 Kg) per square inch. It is commonly found in southeastern Asia.Bambusa tulda
, OzBamboo; ''Retrieved: 2007-12-19''

Habit

It is a tall, dull green colored bamboo species with greyish green when mature. It is composed of few closely growing culms. It reaches a height of 6–23 m.

Appearance

Young culms are green, which become greyish green when mature and brown when drying. Young shoots are yellowish green in color with a powdery top. Culms are covered with white blooms. A band of white hairs occurs above the nodes. Branching occurs from the base to top. Aerial roots reach up to few nodes above. Internode length is 30–60 cm, and diameter is 0.8–1.2 cm. Culm walls are very thick. Nodes are prominent. Culm sheaths are triangular with a conical blade, and straw-colored. The sheath proper is asymmetrical and 15–32 cm in length and 25–34 cm wide. Blade length is 5–10 cm. Auricles are unequal where the large one is rounded and situated on the side of the blade. The upper surface of the sheath is covered with blackish-brown hairs. The lower surface of the sheath is not hairy. Sheaths fall off early.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q657289 tulda Flora of Asia Plants described in 1832