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Bambusa arundinacea (Retz.) Willd.
Poaceae
Spiny bamboo, Thorny bamboo, Tziu chu, Kalak, Bans
Tall woody bamboo, stems thorny, numerous, tufted, up to 40 m tall, curving at top; branches numerous, internodes 30–45 cm long, prominent, bearing in lower parts of stems dense half whorls of stiff, naked, horizontal branches, armed with 2–3 recurved, stout spines; lowest nodes rooting; stem-sheaths leathery, orange-yellow when young, hairy outside, shining and ribbed inside, 30–45 cm long; blade triangular, glabrous, covered with a brown felt of bristly hairs inside; leaves thin, linear, up to 20 cm long, glabrous above, hair beneath; leaf-sheaths hairy, small; inflorescence an enormous panicle, often occupying the entire stem; branchlets loose clusters of pale, glabrous spikes. ranging from Subtropical to Tropical Very Dry to Wet Forest Life Zones, spiny bamboo probably tolerates annual precipitation of ca 6 to 40 dm, annual temperature of ca 18 to 29°C, and pH of 4.3 to 7.3. Thrives in tropical to subtropical climates, growing in warm humid temperate areas as well, but thriving best under frost-free conditions, in rich to medium fertile soils with good water supply.
During the early twentieth century when western society became interested in 'alternative' medicines the first recorded use of Bambusa arundinacea was as an ointment made from the root for cirrhosis and hard tumours, especially tumours of the abdomen, liver, spleen and stomach. Tabasheer, a siliceous secretion (up to 97% SiO2), aphrodisiac, cooling, and tonic, was used in asthma, cough and debilitating diseases. Leaves were also given to horses suffering from coughs and colds. Recent research shows that it can have a beneficial effect on the immune system. Recent research from many sources confirms this.