Bamboos
Bamboos, reeds and canes play important roles in the livelihood of millions of people all over Asia. The growing popularity of rattan and bamboo furniture, as well as the use of bamboo as a substitute for timber, has created a flourishing market. Their extensive use, however, has resulted in over exploitation, bringing to the fore, the issue of their sustainability
Rattans (canes)
Rattans are spiny climbing palms with characteristic scaly fruits belonging to the sub family Calamoideae. Rattans occur from almost sea level to 2000 m above MSL. Evergreen forests of Western Ghats form the natural home of rattans. Some species inhabit in the semievergreen and moist deciduous forests as well. Rattans are dioecious, ie, male and female plants are separate. Flowering is annual. Inflorescences are long and flagellate. In most of the species flowering starts in August and the fruits ripen in March-April. In India rattans are reported to have 60 species under 4 genera. Fortytwo of them are endemic to the country . Peninsular India has only one genus (Calamus) with 15 species. They are C.brandisii, C.delessertianus, C. dransfieldii, C.gamblei, C.hookeriamus, C.hugellianus, C.metzianus, C.nagabettai,C.pseudotenuis,C.neelagiricus, C.rotang,C.shenduruni, C. thwaitesii C. travancoricus and C vattayila. Among these C.delessertianus, C.dransfieldii,C.nagabettai and C.thwaitesii. are thick stemmed; C.gamblei, C.hookerianus, C.psuedotenuis,C.neelagiricus and C vattayila are medium diameter canes (1-2cm diameter) C.brandisii, C.metzianus, C.rotang and C.travancoricus are thin canes having diameter less than 1 cm. Ecosystem conservation together with large scale cultivation of rattans will guarantee the conservation of species and genetic diversity.
Bamboos and reeds
Bamboos are multipurpose woody species. They play a dominant role as woody raw material for a variety of products in the tropical regions and is considered as ‘poor man’s timber’. India ranks second in bamboo production with an annual production of 3.2 million tonnes. Bamboo provides raw materials for cottage industries and employment for millions. It is estimated that harvesting of bamboos in India itself requires about 71.25 million man-days every year. Chandrasekharan(1973) estimated that there are 985 km² of reed areas in Kerala forests. A survey by Kerala Forest Department in 1975-76 showed that there are 56 km² reed area in Thenmala, Achencoil and Arienkavu Ranges together.
18 genera and 128 species have been recorded so far from India. Out of this 8 genera and 32 species occur in peninsular India, which include 8 species, introduced and cultivated in this region. The most widely distributed genera in Kerala are Bambusa, Dendrocalamus and Ochlandra of which Ochlandra is generally known as the ‘reed bamboo’. Bambusa, is represented with one species and one variety, Bambusa bambos and B.bambos var. gigantea. Dendrocalamus are unarmed, arborescent bamboos and are represented in Kerala with a single species D.strictus.
Reeds in Kerala are belonging to the genus Ochlandra . Ochlandra is known to have nine species of which 8 species are endemic to Western Ghats. Seven species and one variety of Ochlandra have been reported so far from Kerala . They are O.beddomei, O.ebracteata, O.scriptoria, O setigera, O.sivagiriana. O.travancorica var. travancorica, O. travancorica var. hirsuta and O.wightii. O. travancorica is locally known as ‘Etta’ or ‘kareetta’
Reed Brakes
Reeds are small gregarious bamboos either in the form of clumps or climbers. They are found as large monospecific patches on hilltops and along streams or in moist pockets, intermixed with forest species. Extensive reed brakes in Kerala are seen towards the upper ghat ridges at Thiruvananthapuram division; between the Ariankavu pass and the Periyar plateau in Punalur, Konni, and Ranni divisions; and lower slops of western flank of Anamalai in Vazhachal, Malayatoor and Kothamangalam divisions.
BAMBOOS OF WESTERN GHATS - KERALA
| Bambusa bambos |
| Bambusa gigantea |
| Bambusa spinosa |
| Chimonobambusa densiflora |
| Dendrocalamus strictus |
| Indocalamus walkerianus |
| Indocalamus wightianus |
| Ochlandra beddomei (endemic) |
| Ochlandra ebracteata (endemic) |
| Ochlandra scriptoria (endemic) |
| Ochlandra setigera (endemic) |
| Ochlandra sivagiriana (endemic) |
| Ochlandra talbotii |
| Ochlandra travancorica (endemic) |
| Ochlandra Keralensis |
| Ochlandra Soderstromiana |
| Ochlandra Spirostulis |
| Ochlandra Wightii |
| Pseudoxytenanthera bourillonii |
| Pseudoxytenanthera monadelpha |
| Pseudoxytenanthera ritchiei |
| Pseudoxytenanthera stocksii |
| Schizostachyum Beddomei |
| Sinanrundianaria densifolia |
| Sinanrundianaria floribunda |
| Sinanrundianaria microphylla |
| Sinanrundianaria wightiana |