Bamboos of Myanmar - Nyan Htun Ministry of Forestry, Forest Research Institute. Yezin, Myanmar. Introduction Myanmar lies between longitudes 92° and 102°E, and 10° and 30°N latitudes. Myanmar has total land area of 676 577 km2, and 50% is covered with forest. There are more than 20 000 species of flowering plants in many forest types depending on localities. These types are: mangrooves, estuarine forests in the delta regions, deciduous forests along the middle mountain ranges (Bago Yoma), dipterocarp forests where there is pronounced dry season, evergreen forests prevail where there is good rainfall and moisture regime, hill evergreen and subalpine forests at high attitude and subtropical regions, dry thorny forests in places with very low rainfall. In Myanmar, there are six national parks, one near Yangon and others spread all over. In these parks there are bamboos growing naturally or some planted for aesthetic reasons. Myanmar used to have a big Bambusetum with more than 20 species in Yangon on the then Rangoon University Campus and it was destroyed due to a new housing project. There is a small bambusetum with 11 species in the FRI Campus, Yezin. In Pyinmana there is a Botanical Garden with 5 bamboo species. Distribution and other aspects Bamboos usually grow mixed with other species and they form the understorey in high forests. An almost pure bamboo forest of Melocanna baccifera, is found in the Arakan Yoma crossing from Pathein and Pye into Rakhine State, mixed with other species like Dendrocalamus strictus, Bambusa longispiculata and Thyrsostachys oliveri scattered over the range. A pure bamboo break of Dendrocalamus giganteus used to exist in Myanaung area as reported by Gamble in his book “A Manual of Indian Timber”. Other Bamboo breaks of Bambusa bambos and B. tulda are found along stream banks and lower hill slopes. Myanmar has 17 genera, about 100 species and 4 varieties of bamboo (See Appendix I and II). They range from small species, Arundinaria armata and A. racemosa, found on high mountains, to very large species like Dendrocalamus giganteus, D. brandisii and D. hamiltonii with culm length reaching over 35 m (105 ft) with diameter 25 cm (8-10 inches). Both monopodial and sympodial species are found in Myanmar. And many species are indigenous and a few are introduced from neighbouring countries. The following species are commercially important. Local Name 1.Bambusa bambos Voss Kyaket-wa 2.Bambusa longispiculata Gamble Tabindaing-wa 3.Bambusa polymorpha Munro Kyathaung-wa 4.Cephalostachyum pergracile Munro Tin-wa 5.Dendrocalamus brandisii Kurz Kyalo-wa 6.D. giganteus Munro Wabo-gyi 7. D. hamiltonii Nees Wabo-myetsangye 8.D. longispathus Kurz Wanet 9.D. membranaceus Munro Waphyu 10. D. strictus Nees Hmyin-wa 11.Dinochloa macllelandii Gamble Wanwe 12.Gigantochloa rostrata Wong Waya 13.Melocanna baccifera Kurz Kayin-wa 14.Thyrsostachys regia Bennet Htiyo-wa bioversityinternational.org/fileadmin/bioversity/publications/Web_version/572/ch28.htm
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 01:37:41 +0000
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