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Bambusa tuldoides Munro

Synonym                    : Bambusa ventricosa McClure

Family                        : Poaceae

Local Names              : Buddha's belly bamboo 

Flowering and fruiting period: Not specified

Distribution: Native of China and Thailand, introduced elsewhere

Habitat: Grown as ornamental plant

IUCN status: Data Deficient

Endemic: No

Uses: Hedge plant, ayurvedic, ornamental, tender stem edible, bonsai material

Key Characters: Culms tufted, to 5 m tall; internodes often obliquely swollen, nearly as wide as long; successive internodes forming a slightly zig-zag pattern; long slender horizontal branches frequent from lower nodes of such culms. Culm-sheaths somewhat flushed with purple when young, quite hairless on the back. Leaf-blades to 15 x 2 cm., lower ones with broad truncate base, stalks short, lower surface very shortly soft-hairy (velvety to the touch), colour as upper surface.