Common Name: Ringal

General Information

Drepanostachyum falcatum is an evergreen, clump-forming bamboo with woody stems that can be around 200 - 350cm tall and 7 - 15mm in diameter.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials. Baskets and other products made from the canes are often sold in local markets. It is often planted within its native range, both to provide material for basket making and also to stabilize the slopes of terraces etc. It is also often grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - Himalayas from Pakistan to Nepal.

Habitat

Forms dense thickets in evergreen oak forests that are usually damp, at elevsations up to 3,600 metres[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Bamboo
Height	3.50 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Semi-cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Drepanostachyum falcatum is only reliably hardy in the milder areas of the temperate zone, being able to tolerate short periods with temperatures down to about -6°c[, , , ].
Prefers an open loam of reasonable quality and plenty of moisture in the growing season[]. Requires a sheltered position[].
A very ornamental plant[].
Plants flower quite frequently in cultivation and often produce viable seed[]. When they do come into flower most of the plants energies are directed into producing seed and consequently the plant is severely weakened. They sometimes die after flowering, but if left alone they will usually recover though they will look very poorly for a few years. If fed with artificial NPK fertilizers at this time the plants are more likely to die[].
The rootstock is caespitose, new shoots are produced from late spring to early summer[].
This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Young shoots - cooked[]. Used as a vegetable[]. They are also fermented and preserved in Nepal to form a dish called tama[]. Tama is sour and has a very strong flavour, it is sometimes mixed in vegetable curries[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is used as a very effective soil stabilizer in Nepal[].

Other Uses

The leaves are used as a roofing material (thatch?[]) and for making baskets[].

The stems are used for making mats, baskets, rods etc[, , , , ]. The culms are not very straight, and they have rather swollen nodes, which make them not very suitable as a weaving material[]. Nevertheless, they are still widely used for this purpose in the Himalayas[]. They are also used in construction[]. They are about 2cm in diameter[].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse at about 20°c. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination usually takes place fairly quickly so long as the seed is of good quality, though it can take 3 - 6 months. Grow on in a lightly shaded place in the greenhouse until large enough to plant out. Seed is rarely available.
Division in spring as new growth commences. Take divisions with at least three canes in the clump, trying to cause as little root disturbance to the main plant as possible. Grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse in pots of a high fertility sandy medium. Mist the foliage regularly until plants are established. Plant them out into their permanent positions when a good root system has developed, which can take a year or more[].
Basal cane cuttings.