Gigantochloa atroviolacea    

Gigantochloa atroviolacea Widjaja

Family : Poaceae

Common Name : കറുത്ത മുള(Mal)

: Java Black Bamboo(Eng)

Gigantochloa atroviolacea is an exotic species growing in Jawa. The purple colour is prominent when it is grown in dry areas. It attains 8- 12 meter height with basal diameter of 6-8 cm. The internodes are 30- 50 cm long. The species can be propagated vegetatively by culm cuttings or rhizomes. The culms are used as building material, furniture and for making musical instruments.

Java Black Bamboo is a medium size clustered woody bamboo with 8-12 m tall stems and an average diameter of 6-8 cm at the base. The stem internodes are fairly thick-walled, 5-8 mm, and on average 30-50 cm long. Stems are dark green when young and turn purplish-black when mature with whitish nodes. The lower part of the stems develop aerial roots from the nodes. Many clustered branches at the nodes with 1 larger dominant branch. Leaves are lance-shaped and are on average 20-30 cm long and 2-5 cm broad. Color purple, distally pubescent, nodes with whitish ring; Culm-sheaths deciduous, 16-20 cm long, hispid with appressed dark brown hairs, auriculate; Leaves lanceolate, 20-28 cm long; Inflorescence spikelets upto 18 in a cluster, ovate-lanceolate; Fruit Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

Use: Building and Construction, Furniture, Handicrafts, Traditional musical instruments, Landscaping

Distribution: India (West Bengal) Malaysia, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Islands, China