Bamboo species in India used for bansuri making

[Angel]

Hi bamboo lovers,

Anybody knows the specie or species used for bansuri making in India?

Probably someone cited them anywhere in the forums. There are some species available to make them, like Pleioblastus simonii, Bambusa multiplex "Silverstripe", to mention just two that grow in Argentina. But I'm looking for the name of the specie used in India traditionally.

Sincerely

Angel

[Mark Meckes]

Hi Angel, Good to hear from you again!
I'm having great difficulty finding an answer to your question.
I hope that others will find this thread and be able to provide an answer.

My first question is ..
Because India is such a large country with such a large climate variation from North to South, are different species used according to what is growing in the warmer regions versus the cooler regions?

India has a great natural diversity of bamboo species, but many bamboos are naturally better suited to certain climates.
Of course, suitable long internode thin-walled bamboo poles could be shipped throughout India, but it makes sense in a rural environment to use what is available locally.

This brings up another question ...
Is the origin and traditional history of the bansuri and bansuri making throughout India or did it originate in one region?
If it was one region, then we could investigate what species grows naturally in that area, and look at the species that are most suitable for bansuri making.

At this bansuri site for Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia:
http://www.brindavangurukul.org/bansuri.htm
It says ...
"Naturally, the bamboo suitable to make bansuri is not available freely. In its entire length, the flute bamboo should not have a node. If you think about it, it is not common to find a bamboo that is thin, straight and yet does not have a node for 30". Such bamboo species are only found in the jungles of Indian states of Assam and Kerala"

Following is a site that lists (some) species growing in Assam:
http://www.bambootech.org/subsubTOP.asp?subsubid=101&subid=37&sname=STATE

Included in the list are some species in the genus Schizostachyum. We know that some species of this genus have long internodes.

In the list is:
Schizostachyum dullooa
Schizostachyum griffithii
Schizostachyum pergracile
Schizostachyum polymorphum

I will have to look into the characteristics of these species.
There are also other Schizostachyum species which do have long internodes, that grow in other parts of the world, and I do not know if they also grow in regions of India.

-------
What about Ochlandra species?

In this thread: Long internode `bansuri' bamboo for cold climates? (http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/showthread.php?t=998)
Post# 8, tubbo mentions ...
"I got in contact with a fan of bamboo in India who told me that the scientific name of the bamboo species used for bansuri is Ochlandra, and that the were 3 varieties used for flute making, 2 of them were suited for large bansuris."[/url]

Following is info provided in the American Bamboo Society Source List ...
(The only Ochlandra species currently available (2007) in the USA)
I do not know if this is a suitable species for bansuri.

Ochlandra - A group of shrubby gregarious reed-like bamboos, native to southern India and Sri Lanka, with persistent culm sheaths.

[i]Ochlandra stridula REED BAMBOO - Native to Sri Lanka, where it is used extensively for basketry and for paper pulp.
Good for craft work.
May be misidentified Semiarundinaria species.
(Note: I am unsure if this means that the species in the US may be mis-identified, or if O. stridula is being debated by taxonomists as possibly belonging to the genus Semiarundinaria.)

Max. height: 18 ft / 5.5 meters
Max. diameter: 0.8 inches / 1.9 cm
Min. temperature: 0 oF / -18 oC
Sun/Shade: 5 (= full sun)

Mark

[Angel]

Thanks Mark for your answer!

I did more or less the same as you, finding some websites as http://www.brindavangurukul.org/bansuri.htm
Bansuri seems to be a Hindustani instrument, and is mentioned the regions of Assam and Kerala as sources of bamboo.

This is a good clue that the genus maybe Ochlandra, although Schizostachyum dullooa
Schizostachyum griffithii
Schizostachyum pergracile
Schizostachyum polymorphum

sounds better for me.I Remember some Richard Water's refferences from Hawaii.

the description of Ochlandra shows that is smaller in diameter as big bansuri flutes, close to 34 mm external diameter, internode 70cm. But I know that some descriptions are not necesarily exact about diameter, and species might reach great proportions on their own ecosystem.

I also will find about Schizostachyum species

[Angel]

Sch polymorphum: thick walled, 3-3.5 cm diameter; internodes 20-23 cm long, so discarded for bansuri.

[Mark Meckes]

This article lists many Schizostachyum native to India:
THE STATUS OF BAMBOO AND RATTAN IN INDIA
http://www.inbar.int/documents/country%20report/INDIA.htm

The first species listed, Schizostachyum arunachalensis is the only species "mentioned" as having long internodes.
This bamboo species listing would be of much greater usefulness if internode specifications were also listed.

-------------

Schizostachyum arunachalensis Naithani
A semiscandent bamboo with long internodes. Culms 10-15 m tall 3 cm in diameter.
Endemic to Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Schizostachyum beddomei (Fischer) Majumdar (Teinostachyum beddomei Fischer)
Tall, semi scandent bamboo. Culm 3-6 m high, 2.5-3.7 cm in diameter.
Endemic to Western Ghats.

Schizostachyum capitatum (Munro) Majumdar (Cephalostachyum capitatum Munro)
A shrubby, sub-arborescent bamboo. Culms 4-10 m long, 2.5-3 cm in diameter.
North-east India, Sikkim and Bhutan.

Schizostachyum dullooa (Gamble) Majumdar (Teinostachyum dullooa Gamble)
Moderate sized to large tufted bamboo, sometimes scandent. Culms 6-9 m tall, 2.5-7.5 cm in diameter.
North-east India. Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar.

Schizostachyum flavescens (Kurz) Majumdar (Cephalostachyum falvescens Kurz)
An evergreen tufted, semi-arborescent bamboo. Culms 3-6 m tall, 2.5-3.8 cm in diameter.
Andaman Islands, India. Myanmar.

Schizostachyum griffithii (Munro) Majumdar (Teinostachyum griffithii Munro)
Straggling or sub-erect bamboo. Culms drooping, 7-16 m long, 1.5-2 cm in diameter.
Endemic to North-east India.

Schizostachyum helferi (Munro) Majumdar (Teinostachyum helferi (Munro) Gamble)
Evergreen tufted bamboo, forming large impenetrable thickets. Culms 6-12 m high, 2-4 cm in diameter.
Meghalaya, India. Myanmar.

Schizostachyum kurzii (Munro) Majumdar (Bambusa schizostachyoides (Kurz) Kurz ex Gamble)
An arborescent bamboo. Culms 5-8 m high, 8-10 cm in diameter.
Endemic to Andaman Islands, India.

Schizostachyum latifolium (Munro) Majumdar (Cephalostachyum latifolium Munro; C. fuchsianum Gamble)
A medium sized, arborescent, semi scandent bamboo. Culm 5 m tall.
North-east India. Bhutan.

Schizostachyum mannii Majumdar
Shrubby bamboo.
Endemic to North-east India.

Schizostachyum pallidum (Munro) Majumdar (Cephalostachyum pallidum Munro)
A shrubby bamboo. Culms not more than 2 m tall.
Endemic to North-east India.

Schizostachyum pergracile (Munro) Majumdar (Cephalostachyum pergracile Munro)
A arborescent, tufted bamboo. Culms 10-30 m tall, 5-8 cm in diameter.
North-east India, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh. Myanmar. Cultivated at Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun.

Schizostachyum polymorphum (Munro) Majumdar (Pseudostachyum polymorphum Munro)
A large shrubby or semi-arborescent bamboo with single culms. Culms 7 m tall, 2 cm in diameter, thin walled.
North-east India, Sikkim. Bhutan, Myanmar.

Schizostachyum rogersii Brandis
Culm tufted, weak, upto 9 m high, 2 cm in diameter.
A very rare species, endemic to Andaman Islands, India.

Schizostachyum seshagirianum Majumdar
A scandent bamboo with tufted branches. Culms 5-8 m tall, 7-10 cm in diameter, thin walled.
Endemic to Arunachal Pradesh, India.

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Some other Schizostachyum species not mentioned, (country of origin uncertain) with long internodes, are listed in the (2007) American Bamboo Society Source List) as follows:

Schizostachyum juculans
(May be synonym for S. lima
Erect, straight culms with drooping tips.
Internodes can be over 3ft (1M) long
Max Height: 30ft (9M)
Max Diameter: 1.3" (3.3cm)
Min. Temperature: 35F (2C)
Sun/Shade: 5 (Full sun =5)

Schizostachyum lima
Very long internodes
Max Height: 40ft (12M)
Max Diameter: 3.5" (8.9cm)
Min. Temperature: (?)
Sun/Shade: 5 (Full sun =5)

Schizostachyum sp. 'Murray Island'
Has very long internodes up to 3' (1M).
Used in the Solomon Islands to make pan flutes and for weaving.
Max Height: 16ft (5M)
Max Diameter 1" (2.5cm)
Min. Temperature 37F (3C)
Sun/Shade: 4 (Full sun =5)

PS. I should also mention Schizostachyum grande
See info/description at this Thread: Pictures from a wild grove - Schizostachyum grande (http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1705)

... or view pics at Schizostachyum grande (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=643) category at gallery Bamboo Flora