Ochlandra travancorica   

Ochlandra travancorica (Bedd.) Gamble

Family : Poaceae

Common Name : ഈറ്റ (Mal)

: Reed bamboo(Eng)

Root-stock rhizomatous, branched; culms to 5 m tall, densely clumped, hollow, covered with culm sheaths; culm sheaths with small limbs. Leaves scattered, 20-40 x 5-10 cm, oblong-lanceolate, base truncate, or cuneate, glabrous; sheaths tubular, mouth with stiff bristles; ligule short. Panicles large, spicate. Spikelets in verticils, 3-9 together, sessile, 5-6 cm long; glumes 2-5, unequal, to 5 cm long, lanceolate, mucronate, smooth; florets one, bisexual; lemmas 5 cm long, elliptic-oblong, muticous; palea membranous. Stamens 20-40, filaments monadelphous. Style long; stigma 4-6. Fruit ovoid, 2-3 x 1.5 cm, beaked, smooth.

Culms : Tufted Height: 2-6m  Diameter:2.5-5cm  Culm Color: Grayish green

Internode Length: 45-60cm  

Culm Sheath Colour: 15-20 cm long, thin,longitudinally wrinkled, striate,covered densely with appressed goldenor black bulbous-based hairs whenyoung, glabrous afterwards, truncatelyrounded above and with a fringe oferect stiff bristles, ciliate on themargins; imperfect blade narrow, subulate, 4-8 cm long; ligule narrow, entire.

Length of Leaf: 9- 30cm  Breadth of Leaf : 5 12cm  

Leaf Shape: Oblong- lanceolate

Use: Basket, Handicrafts, pulp and paper, ply, Mat, Umbrella handles, Fishing rods, thatching, edible fruit

Distribution : Southern Western Ghats (Endemic)

Flowering Cycle: 7-12 years

Flowering & Fruiting : November-May