Locationตลาดคำเที่ยง (Khamthiang Market), the main plant market in Chiang Mai, is located little over 1 kilometer north-northeast beyond the old city wall.
Often found transcription variants of the components of the word Khamthiang are "kam", "tiang", "thieng", and "tieng".
Google Map: Northern City of Chiang Mai
Images
Photos taken from bamboos at Khamthiang Market are included in the following set:
Bamboos at Khamthiang Market, Chiang Mai
All images show plants at Khamthiang Market if not otherwise stated.
2008–2009 — List of bamboos
The following is a list of bamboos found offered for sale at vendors' stalls in Khamthiang Market, Chiang Mai. One can expect to detect further species and varieties of bamboo in course of time.
The list is arranged alphabetically by Romanized (transcribed) Thai bamboo name. First, the common Thai name is given in Thai script, followed in brackets by its Romanized name, then by its botanical name if known.
None of the vendors at Khamthiang Market can tell you a bamboo's botanical name, and you might even be misguided if you ask for a Thai name. Many seller assistants do not know the Thai name and call ไผ่หวาน (phai wan) any bamboo with edible shoots, and ไผ่ซาง (phai sang) any bamboo suitable for construction, or they choose a fancy name. None of the vendors is specialized in bamboo, it's just another plant to sell. The only vendor that deals exclusively with bamboo and knows what they sell is Chiang Mai Bamboo Nursery which has no stall at Khamthiang Market.
ไผ่บง (phai bong) — probably Bambusa tulda
Rarely offered by vendors. — Culms for construction.
ไผ่จีน (phai chin)
The Thai name, ไผ่จีน (phai chin), is in use for several totally different bamboos that originate, or were introduced from China.
Under this name, a green-stem variety of Bambusa multiplex was occasionally offered by one vendor in 2004. Just the same variety was offered at the same stall in June 2009 as ไผ่เสฉวน (phai sechuan). — Solitary ornamental, natural and trimmed hedges, screening; best species for trimmed hedges of low to medium size.
Species of Phyllostachys were occasionally found offered as phai chin, too.
ไผ่ดำ (phai dam) — Bambusa lako
A clump-forming bamboo; the culms black when mature, occasionally with a few narrow dark green stripes, lower nodes with air-roots.
Origins from Timor, cultivated in Malaysia and Thailand.
Found offered by a few vendors in Oct. 2008 and Oct. 2009. A rather tall clump of this species was found offered at 10,000 Baht in May 2009. — Solitary ornamental.
The Thai name, phai dam, meaning black bamboo, is applied to two or three different bamboos with black stem.
ไผ่ดำจีน (phai dam chin) — Phyllostachys nigra f. nigra
A bamboo forming an open-spaced grove; culms black when mature.
From Japan and China, widely cultivated in temperate climates, and sometimes in subtropical climates.
Was offered by a few vendors about 2005, and still found offered by one vendor in Nov. 2008.
ไผ่ดำจีน (phai dam chin) — Phyllostachys nigra f. boryana
Similar to Phyllostachys nigra f. nigra, but culms become irregularly marked with large purplish-black cloud-like blotches.
Origins from Japan and China, widely cultivated in temperate climates.
Found offered by one vendor in Oct. 2008.
ไผ่ดำแคระ (phai dam khrae) = ไผ่ดำเลื้อย (phai dam lueai) — Dinochloa sp.
ไผ่ดำเลื้อย (phai dam lueai) — Dinochloa sp.
A tall climbing bamboo, forming a dense clump. Culms dark green, or dark brown when old.
Was offered by one vendor about 2004, never found later again.
ไผ่ข้าหวลาม (phai khao lam) — Cephalostachyum pergracile
Not found offered by any vendor.
ไผ่กิมซุ่ง (phai kim sung) — Bambusa beecheyana
Offered by one vendor in Oct. 2008 and found again in June 2009. — Shoot production.
ไผ่ลายเงิน (phai lai ngoen) = ไผ่เงิน (phai ngoen)
ไผ่หลีจู (phai li chu) — Bambusa sp. [#031]
An unidentified species of Bambusa, with vegetative characters similar to Bambusa tulda. Found offered by one vendor in Oct. 2008 and again in June 2009. — Shoots delicious, plants as natural hedge and for screening.
ไผ่เหลี่ยม (phai liam) = ไผ่สี่เหลี่ยม (phai si liam) — Chimonobambusa quadrangularis
ไผ่เลี้ยง (phai liang)
A tight clump-forming bamboo, over 10 m tall, dark green erect culms, slightly bending, foliage leaves medium to dark green, small and narrow.
Phai liang is a still unidentified bamboo. In many publications, phai liang is considered to be Bambusa multiplex (sometimes also synonymously named as Bambusa nana), which is a misidentification (at least for plants of phai liang in the Chiang Mai area). It was also erroneously identified as Thyrsostachys oliveri.
Phai liang is frequently offered, almost throughout year. — Ornamental, good for screening.
ไผ่เลี้ยงหวาน (phai liang wan)
Similar to phai liang, but culms medium green to light green, foliage leaves light green, shoots said to be more delicious.
Found offered by two vendors in Oct. 2008, and again in 2009. — Shoots delicious, ornamental, good for screening.
ไผ่เหลือง (phai lueang) — Bambusa vulgaris cv. Striata
A tight clump-forming, tall bamboo, very common. Culms yellow with a few narrow green stripes; foliage leaf blades glabrous on both sides. As a very small pot plant, it can be confused with phai thong.
Seasonally offered by several vendors. — Solitary ornamental.
ไผ่เหลืองจีน (phai lueang chin) — Phyllostachys sp. [1]
A bamboo forming an open-spaced grove. Culms yellow.
Origins from China. This bamboo was first seen in 2007 and found again, offered by one vendor only, in Oct. 2008. The plant seems not to be P. aurea, and not P. sulphurea, both have yellow culms. There are other species of Phyllostachys grown in Chiang Mai from introductions, e.g. P. makinoi, but not seen offered at Khamthiang Market yet.
ไผ่หม่าจู (phai ma chu) — Dendrocalamus latiflorus [#170]
A tall clump-forming bamboo.
Found offered by two vendors in Oct. 2008, and again in 2009. — Shoot production, ornamental.
ไผ่น้ำ (phai nam) — not a bamboo!
= คล้าน้ำ (khla nam) — Schumannianthus dichotomus (MARANTACEAE)
ไผ่น้ำเต้า (phai nam tao) — Bambusa vulgaris cv. Wamin
A medium-sized, clump-forming bamboo with inflated/contorted internodes.
Seasonally and frequently offered. — Solitary ornamental.
ไผ่เงิน (phai ngoen) — Bambusa glaucophylla
A low, clump-forming bamboo. Culms up to 5 m height, usually lower, internodes 1–2.5 cm in diameter. Foliage leaf blades small, 5–12 cm long, 10–15 mm wide, mid-green, variegated (with white stripes).
Seasonally and frequently offered. — Solitary ornamental, trimmed or natural low hedge.
Not to be confused with another species associated with the same Thai name (see below)!
ไผ่เงิน (phai ngoen) — not a bamboo!
= Pogonatherum sp. (POACEA: Pooideae: Andropogoneae)
Culms 70–95 cm long, leaves small, 6–7 cm long, 5–7 mm wide, variegated (with white stripes). This is a grass belonging to the tribe Andropogoneae, but not a bamboo! The white striped form is widely cultivated in the tropics as a garden plant, sometimes reverting to the green wild form. Its habit resembles a miniature bamboo. A green wild form of Pogonatherum occurs naturally at Doi Suthep – Doi Pui National Park in Chiang Mai Province.
ไผ่พื้นเมือง (phai phuen mueang)
An unidentified species native to Thailand, perhaps a species of Bambusa.
Offered by one vendor in Oct. 2008, not found later again.
ไผ่เป้าะ (phai po) — Dendrocalamus sp.
Found offered by one vendor only, but was sold out by Oct. 2008.
The local name phai po is applied to both D. brandisii and D. giganteus.
ไผ่แพร่ (phai phrae) = ไผ่เป้าะ (phai po)
ไผ่รวก (phai ruak) — Thyrsostachys siamensis
A common tight-clumping erect bamboo native to Thailand and widespread. Found offered by a few vendors. Although different clones (with slightly different habit) exist, sellers do not distinguish different kinds of this species. — Shoots delicious, culms for construction.
ไผ่รวกแดง (phai ruak daeng) — Thyrsostachys siamensis = ไผ่รวก (phai ruak)
This is the same species (phai ruak), not a different species. It is not clear if phai ruak daeng is a selection of phai ruak.
ไผ่รวกดำ (phai ruak dam) = ไผ่เลี้ยง (phai liang)
Local people, including all the vendors contacted, actually apply both these names to the same species. Phai liang has not been identified so far; it could well be a species of Dendrocalamus though it is similar in overall habit to Thyrsostachys; whereas phai ruak dam is commonly treated in publications as the Thai name for Thyrsostachys oliveri. There are plants (similar to phai liang) that seem to be true Thyrsostachys oliveri, but these were not found offered at Khamthiang Market.
ไผ่ซาง (phai sang) — Dendrocalamus strictus
It is doubtful if bamboos offered as phai sang are Dendrocalamus strictus throughout. Several distinct types of phai sang are recorded but not identified.
Bamboos under the name phai sang found offered by a few vendors at Khamthiang Market in 2009. — Culms for construction.
ไผ่ซางหม่น (phai sang mon)
An erect, tall clump-forming bamboo; the internodes covered with white wax giving young culms a bluish appearance.
Found offered by one vendor in Oct. 2008. — Culms for construction and furniture.
ไผ่ซางราชินี (phai sang rachini) = ไผ่ซางหม่น (phai sang mon)
ไผ่เสฉวน (phai sechuan) — Bambusa multiplex cv. Stripestem Fernleaf
A variety of Bambusa multiplex with yellow-striped stem and tiny leaves. This variety is not stable; its leaves may revert to larger size. — Solitary ornamental.
For the first time in May 2009, found offered by one vendor at Khamthiang Market, by another vendor with stall outside but near Khamthiang Market, and also by a plant nursery in Suthep subdistrict, all of them offered under the same Thai name. However, another variety of Bambusa multiplex (green stem, turning to orange-yellow in sun, and normal sized leaves) was found offered at Khamthiang Market by one vendor as ไผ่เสฉวน (phai sechuan).
The Thai name, เสฉวน (sechuan), means hermit crab, alluding to the pattern of the foliage leaves.
ไผ่สี่เหลี่ยม (phai si liam) — Chimonobambusa quadrangularis — Square Bamboo
Offered temporarily by one vendor in mid 2009, and by a plant nursery in Suthep subdistrict in May 2009. — Ornamental grove.
An invasive bamboo forming a grove, introduced from China. The stem in cross-section is nearly square, with rounded corners.
The Thai word เหลี่ยม (liam) means side, facet, and สี่เหลี่ยม (si liam) means four-sided, quadrangular.
ไผ่ศรีปราจีน (phai si prachin) = ไผ่ตงเขียว (phai tong khiao)
The Thai name translated means "bamboo from Prachin Buri [ปราจีนบุรี]", which is the name of a city and province in central Thailand.
ไผ่สรีสุก (phai si suk) — Bambusa blumeana
A giant thorny bamboo. Found offered by a few vendors. — Impenetrable barrier for people and life-stock, and wind-break, used for property boundaries.
ไผ่สีทอง (phai si thong) = ไผ่ทอง (phai thong)
ไผ่ทวาย (phai thawai) =? ไผ่เลี้ยงหวาน (phai liang wan)
Found offered by one vendor, who considers this bamboo to be the same as phai liang wan.
ไผ่ทอง (phai thong) — Schizostachyum brachycladum cv. Bali Kuning
This is a yellow-stem cultivated variety (yellow culms with an occasional green stripe) of Schizostachyum brachycladum, a species found in southern Thailand and Malaysia. The yellow-stem form may occasionally revert to the green wild form.
Other names recorded for Schizostachyum brachycladum: ไผ่โป (phai po) from Trang.
Seasonally and frequently offered. — Solitary ornamental, ideal also for group planting and avenue.
ไผ่ตง (phai tong) — Dendrocalamus asper
A tall and dense clump-forming bamboo with large foliage leaves.
Found seasonally offered by a few vendors, restricted to the following two varieties.
ไผ่ตงดำ (phai tong dam) — Dendrocalamus asper cv. Thai Black
New shoots black. Rarely offered. — Shoot production.
ไผ่ตงเขียว (phai tong khiao) — Dendrocalamus asper cv. Thai Green
New shoots green. More commonly offered. — Shoot production.
ไผ่หวาน (phai wan)
Under this name, several totally different species have been offered. All these species are bamboos with shoots of delicious taste: "wan" means sweet.
2009 — Flowering of bamboos
ไผ่ทอง (phai thong) — The yellow-stem variety of Schizostachyum brachycladum can be occasionally found flowering. It is sporadic flowering which might occur every year to this species and does not harm, or not seriously harm the plant (see photos 001–003 in the Album Bamboos at Khamthiang Market).
ไผ่เลี้ยงหวาน (phai liang wan)? — In May 2009, a few potted bamboos on the site of another plant sales booth next to Khamthiang Market were found in flower (see photos 004–009 in the Album Bamboos at Khamthiang Market). They closely resemble phai liang or phai liang wan. Apparently, all three bamboos represent the same species: Three potted plants, each pot with 3 single stems (individual stems, planted together in the pot), of which one stem of each pot developed branches with flowers and some weak leaves, the other stems showed branches with foliage leaves and remained in vegetative state. No culm sheaths were found. By the end of May, all three flowering stems did not show any vegetative growth, no further flowers developed, and they seem having died. Other plants of phai liang elsewhere in Chiang Mai were found flowering, and several if not most of them died or seem going to die. Some flowering plants, however, may recover and develop new leaves.
