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Family Gramineae
Usiu
Dinochloa scandens (Blume) O. Kuntze
ZIGZAG BAMBOO

Scientific names Common names
Bambusa scandens Blume ex Nees Baka (Tagb.)
Chusquea amplopaniculata Steud. Balikau (Tagb.)
Dinochloa macrocarpa Elm. Bia (Tagb.)
Dinochloa scandens (Blume ex Nees) Kuntze Bika (Bon.)
Dinochloa tjangkorreh (Schult.f.) Buse Balilit (Bag.)
Nastus tjangkorreh Schult.f      [Illegitimate] Bayokaui (P. Bis.)
Schizostachyum parviflorum Munro       [Invalid] Bukau (Yak.)
  Bukaui (Tag.)
  Bulukaui (P. Bis.)
  Burukaui (S. L. Bis.)
  Timak (Mang.)
  Usiu (Bik., Tag.)
  Java bamboo (Engl.)
  Scrambling bamboo (Engl.)
  West Java climbing bamboo (Engl.)
  Zigzag bamboo (Engl.)
Dinochloa scandens (Blume ex Nees) Kuntze is an accepted name. The Plant List

Other vernacular names
INDIA: Baurat.
INDONESIAN: Cangkore, Cankoreh.
MALAY: Pring kadalan.
SUNDANESE: Cankoreh.
THAI: Phai khlan, Phai lueai.

Botany
Usiu is a long, scrambling bamboo. Stems are are scrambling, freely branching, and zig-zagging, up to 30 meters long, climbing by loop, 1.5 to 3 centimeters in diameter at the base, terete, smooth and green. Branches are numerous, the slender, somewhat drooping branches forming a tangle mass; the sheath is 10 to 18 centimeters long. Leaves are about 15 to 35 centimeters long, 3 to 8 centimeters wide, broadly linear or lanceolate. Infructescence occurs on leafless branchlets, chiefly terminal, 30 to 90 centimeters long. Fruit is hard, 1 to 1.25 centimeters long, ellipsoid to subglobose, of deep wine color when fully ripe; black when dry.

Distribution
- Common in primary forests, at low and medium altitudes, in Luzon (Bulacan, Laguna, Camarines, Sorsogon), Polillo, Mindoro, Palawan, Balabac, Samar, Panay, Sibuyan, Biliran, Leyte, Mindanao, and Basilan.
- Also occurs in the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago.

Properties
- One of the fastest growing species in the world. They invade logged and disturbed forests, becoming weeds and preventing regeneration of commercial timber. (3)
- Its culm growth, which is lying or climbing, is characteristic of D. scandens that is not present in other genus. (4)

Parts used
Shoots, stems.

Uses

Edibility
- Young shoots eaten as vegetable. (3)
Folkloric
- Water inside the stem is used as eye medicine; also, for scurfiness or dandruff.
- Young shoots eaten as vermifuge.
Others
- Crafts:
Mature culms used to make rough baskets to carry stones from rivers. (3) Stems used for making handicrafts. Long culms used as rope.

Studies
No studies found.

Availability
- Wild-crafted.

Updated September 2018 / January 2013

IMAGE SOURCE: / Photograph / Dinochloa scandens / © SHAILESH NURSERY / CLICK ON IMAGE TO GO TO SOURCE PAGE / SHAILESH NURSEY
OTHER IMAGE SOURCE: / Drawing / Dinochloa scandens (Blume ex Nees.) / M. Greene (1891) / Illustrat by Illustration contributed by the Missouri Botanical Garden / PlantIllustrations
Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Dinochloa scandens (West-Java Climbing Bamboo) / Common names / Zipcodezoo
(2)
Dinochloa scandens / Synonyms / The Plant List
(3)
Dinochloa scandens / Useful Tropical Plants
(4)
Species diversity and utilization of bamboo to support life’s the community of Karangwangi Village, Cidaun Sub-District of Cianjur, Indonesia / TIA SETIAWATI et al / BIODIVERSITAS, Jan 2017; Vol 18, No 1: pp 58-64 / DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d180109


It is not uncommon for links on studies/sources to change. Copying and pasting the information on the search window or using the DOI (if available) will often redirect to the new link page.

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