Location
Postal Address:
Bamboo Collection, Royal Project Foundation,
Ban Pa Chi, T. Mae Hia, A. Mueang, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
บ้านป่าจี้ ตำบลแม่เหียะ อำเภอเมือง จังหวัดเชียงใหม่ ๕๐๒๐๐
Map:
Grid J1 in BS Route Map 1.
Direction
From Chiang Mai, a few miles on Chaing Mai – Hang Dong Road (#108) in southern direction towards Hang Dong, turn right at intersection on Road to Night Safari (#3044), cross the Irrigation Canal Road (#121), heading Royal Flora Ratchaphruek (site of the International Horticultural Exposition, 2006), enter the circle ahead, and exit the circle on the street that borders the right side of the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek. Stay on this road for a few hundred meters. The area of the Royal Project Bamboo Collection is located on the right side, surrounded by a tall screen of bamboos.
Description of Site
The Royal Project Bamboo Collection is part of the Royal Project Foundation and comprises an area of about 20 rai with over 20 bamboo species and variants. The Bamboo Collection has a bias in useful bamboos adapted to local climate, chiefly bamboos for shoot production. These bamboos will be propagated and distributed to those farmers who are members of the Royal Project.
There are three species cultivated extensively in numerous clumps: Dendrocalamus latiflorus, Bambusa oldhamii, and Bambusa burmanica. The first two species attained tall height but have not yet reached their ultimate height, whereas the latter is grown as a young plantation and their culms reached about 2 meters height by December 2008, and 4 meters and more by August 2009. The whole area of the Royal Project Bamboo Collection is screened along its border by tall clumps of a species of Thyrsostachys. There are several other species and varieties of bamboos planted in limited number in a not very large area, and a few other, still immature species are kept as pot plants.
Images
Photos can be found in the following set:
Bamboos at the Royal Project Bamboo Collection
All images show plants at the Royal Project Bamboo Collection if not otherwise stated. The first batch of photos was taken in December 2008, during cool season, when nearly all new culms of bamboos have reached maturity. The second batch of photos was taken on 9 and 10 August 2009 during rainy season, when nearly all species had developed new shoots and fresh culm sheats were available.
List of Bamboos (I)
The following is a commented list of bamboos (identified and unidentified) viewed at the Royal Project Bamboo Collection. First, the common Thai name is given in Thai script, followed in brackets by its Romanized name, then by its botanical name if known.
(01) ไผ่หวานอ่างขาง (phai wan ang khang), ไผ่หม่าจู (phai ma chu) — Dendrocalamus latiflorus
The Thai name, phai ma chu, is certainly a corruption of the Chinese name, 麻竹 (ma zhu) [ma = hemp, jute, flax; zhu = bamboo], for D. latiflorus. This species has been introduced from Taiwan to the Royal Project at Doi Ang Khang many years ago.
(02) ไผ่หยก (phai yok) — Bambusa oldhamii
Culm internodes smooth, glabrous; culm sheaths light orange when young, glabrous; culm sheath ligule short and entire; sheath auricles and bristles present.
Two Thai names are given for this species: ไผ่หยก (phai yok) and ไผ่หลี่จู๋ (phai li chu) (1043: 3). The latter Thai name is certainly a corruption of the Chinese name, 绿竹 (lü zhu, or lu zhu) [lü = green, chlorine; zhu = bamboo], for B. oldhamii. The Thai name ไผ่หลี่จู๋ (phai li chu), including some transcription variants, might have been erroneously applied to one or two other species, too. I have not yet checked if the plants at the Royal Project Bamboo Collection correspond with description/drawing of B. oldhamii, and with plants of this species in the USA. This species has been introduced from Taiwan to the Royal Project at Doi Ang Khang many years ago.
(03) ไผ่บงหวานเมีองเลย (phai bong wan mueang loei) — Bambusa burmanica
Culms: ultimate height not recorded. Nodes of lower branches occasionally with small thorns. Culm sheaths with brown hairs, sheath margin ciliate; culm sheath auricles large. Young shoots of this bamboo are delicious and can be eaten raw (I tried and can confirm).
Following the description by Kew and line drawing by Tropicos, Bambusa burmanica is not armed with thorns, and the culms can reach 20 meters.
A thorny bamboo, ไผ่บงหนาม (phai bong nam), is also recorded to represent B. burmanica (1047; 1003: 65), but no bamboo under this name has been seen so far.
(04) ไผ่กิมซุง (phai kim sung) — Bambusa beecheyana
Sheath scar ring of culm nodes with brown hairs; culm sheaths with some rigid dark hairs when young, glabrous when dry; culm sheath ligule long, fringed and split, auricles none.
(05) ไผ่เลี้ยง (phai liang)
Young shoots green. Culm internodes dark green; nodes with broad bud; culm sheath apex horizontal-truncate; culm sheath ligule conspicuous, fringed, broader than base of sheath blade; culm sheath blade long-narrow, reflexed. The sheath blade of this plant is very similar to those of ไผ่เลียะ (phai lia) at Huai Hong Khrai.
(06) ไผ่ซาง (phai sang) ? — Dendrocalamus strictus ?
Internodes middle-green, glabrous; foliage leaves 12-20(25) cm long and 1.8-2.7(3.2) cm wide.
(07) ไผ่หกวัดจันทร์ (phai hok wat chan) — Dendrocalamus sinicus
Culms under marcotting procedure. Culm internodes slightly rough, covered with brownish fuzz when young; culm sheaths pale reddish brown, covered with dark hairs; culm sheath ligule small; culm sheath auricles none or inconspicuous; culm sheath blades erect or nearly so; foliage leaf blades green, glabrous on both sides, 16-28 cm long, 5.5-7 cm wide.
This bamboo was collected in วัดจันทร์ (Wat Chan), แม่แจ่ม (Mae Chaem) district of Chiang Mai province.
(08) ไผ่มันหมู (phai man mu), ไผ่เป๊าะ (phai po) — Dendrocalamus copelandii
Culm internodes bluish-green, glabrous, farinose; branches 5, central one dominant; culm sheaths brown, covered with dark hairs; culm sheath blades reflexed; foliage leaves green, glabrous on both sides, 21-25 cm long, 5-6 cm wide.
This bamboo was collected in น่าน (Nan) province. The plant is in flower (Aug. 2009).
(09) Bambusa sp.
A bamboo similar to ไผ่บง (phai bong), received from Lampang. Culms solid on the lower part; internodes covered with white soft hairs when young, rough when mature; branches several, one dominant; foliage leave blades medium-sized, 26-30 cm long, 2.4-3.5 cm wide.
(10) Phyllostachys bambusoides
Leaf sheaths with long bristles. This species is in flower at Doi Ang Khang.
(11) Phyllostachys makinoi
Culms yellowish-green; leaf sheaths with long white bristles.
(12) Pseudosasa japonica
(13) Phyllostachys lithophila
Culms yellowish-green; foliage leaves with auricles and bristles.
(14) ไผ่ทอง (phai thong) — Schizostachyum brachycladum cv. Bali Kuning
Culms bright orange-yellow, with an occasional green stripe; foliage leaf blades slightly pubescent beneath. This plant is flowering.
(15) ไผ่รวก (phai ruak) — Thyrsostachys siamensis
Culm sheaths dark green when young, sheath apex truncate, convex-waved. The property boundary of the Royal Project Bamboo Collection is screened by this species.
(16) Unidentified bamboo
Culms fuzzy; culm sheaths covered with dark hairs; foliage leaf blades glabrous. Similar to Dendrocalamus brandisii.
(17) ไผ่บงป่า (phai bong pa) — Bambusa nutans ?, Bambusa longispatha ?
Culm internodes glabrous; young shoots and basal internodes occasionally striped cream; culm sheaths partly covered with dark hairs; culm sheath auricles large.
(18) ไผ่ตงเขียว (phai tong khiao) — Dendrocalamus asper cv. Thai Green
Internodes of lower culm rough, covered with brown fuzz, branches slightly rough or glabrous; foliage leaf blades glabrous.
(19) ไผ่หกหวานลำปาง (phai hok wan lampang) — Dendrocalamus hamiltonii
Culm internodes slightly rough; culm sheaths covered with dark hairs; culm sheath ligule long, fringed; culm sheath auricles with curled bristles; culm sheath blades reflexed; foliage leaf blades glabrous.
(20) ไผ่ซางดอย (phai sang doi), ไผ่ซางป่า (phai sang pa) — Dendrocalamus membranaceus
Young shoots not seen. Culm internodes glabrous; culm sheaths hairy; culm sheath ligule long, fringed; culm sheath auricles none; foliage leaves rather small, twig usually with 6-9 leaves, leaf blades glabrous, longest leaf blades 13 cm by 11 mm width.
This bamboo is apparently the wild form of Dendrocalamus membranaceus. Whether ไผ่ซางนวล (phai sang nuan), perhaps a cultivated form of Dendrocalamus membranaceus, differs from the wild form is currently not known.
(21) ไผ่ซางเขียว (phai sang khiao) — Dendrocalamus barbatus
Young shoots dark purplish or violet, hairy. Culm internodes glabrous; branches many, central branch much dominant. Culm sheath ligule very long, fringed; culm sheath auricles and bristles none; culm sheath blade reflexed. Foliage leaf blades glabrous.
(22) Dendrocalamus sp.
Origin not recorded, perhaps from Chiang Rai. Young shoots covered with black hairs, with culm sheath blades reflexed. Culm internodes covered with light-colored fuzz when young; culm nodes with large buds, several branches develop, one dominant.
(23) ไผ่ไร่ (phai rai) — Pseudoxytenanthera albociliata, syn. Gigantochloa albociliata
Culm internodes glabrous; basal part of culm sheaths densely covered with black hairs; culm sheath blade reflexed; foliage leaf blades glabrous; leaf sheaths covered with light-colored hairs.
(24) ไผ่รวกแดง (phai ruak daeng) — Thyrsostachys siamensis
This bamboo is said to represent phai ruak daeng and being different from (15). However, I could not yet detect any distinctive characters.
(25) ไผ่ซางหม่น (phai sang mon) — Dendrocalamus sericeus
Culm internodes farinose, thick-walled (3rd internode above ground with wall 3.2 cm thick by 11.5 cm culm diameter); culm sheaths reddish, upper part of sheath covered with dark hairs; culm sheath ligule large, irregular-shaped, margin notched; culm sheath blade reflexed; foliage leaf blades glabrous.
(26) ไผ่เหลือง (phai lueang) — Bambusa vulgaris cv. Striata
List of Bamboos (II)
Other bamboos grown at the Royal Project Bamboo Collection which have not yet viewed, or not thoroughly viewed, and photos were not taken yet.
ไผ่บงใหญ่ (phai bong yai), ไผ่ซางเย็น (phai sang yen) — Dendrocalamus brandisii
Grows on river bank at Doi Ang Khan.
Bambusa oldhamii, small variety
Phyllostachys nigra f. nigra
Culms black.
Phyllostachys edulis
The plant grows weak at the Royal Project Bamboo Collection, but well at Doi Ang Khang.
ไผ่โอดาชิมา (phai odachima) — Bambusa odashimae, Bambusa edulis — [available?]
ไผ่เงิน (phai ngoen); ไผ่ลายเงิน (phai lai ngoen) — Bambusa glaucophylla
ไผ่น้ำเต้า (phai nam tao) — Bambusa vulgaris cv. Wamin
Chimonobambusa quadrangularis
Culms rounded square in cross section, nodes with root thorns. Kept as pot plant.
ไผ่ตงดำ (phai tong dam) — Dendrocalamus asper cv. [1]
ไผ่มันหมู (phai man mu) — Dendrocalamus copelandii, Bambusa copelandii — [available?]
ไผ่หกลำ (phai hok lam) — Gigantochloa macrostachya — [available?]
หลอด (lot), ไผ่โป (phai po) {2}; ไผ่เมี่ยงไฟ (phai miang fai) {2} — Schizostachyum aciculare — [available as pot plant]
ไผ่รวกดำ (phai ruak dam) — Thyrsostachys oliveri
Said to be planted at the Royal Project Bamboo Collection, but not sure if plants represent this species, perhaps they are Thyrsostachys siamensis.
Acknowledgement
This inventory could not have been done with the generous permission and help of Mr. Kittisak Jindawong, Forest Research Officer at the Royal Project Bamboo Collection.
