18 PHILIPPINE BAMBOOS 



This is an erect bamboo about 10 meters in height and up 

 to 5 centimeters in diameter. A gregarious species abundant 

 in Palawan and Culion on dry open slopes. Reported from 

 Nueva Vizcaya, Leyte, Butuan, and Palawan. A flowering spec- 

 imen is shown in Plate XXI. 



SCHIZOSTACHYUM DIFFUSUM (Blanco) Merr. Bi'kal. 



Common names: bikal (Tagalog, Iloko, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Caga- 

 yan) ; usiu (Tagalog) ; balidro, balikdu, bongbong, lo-ob (Bisaya) ; hindi, 

 indi, inri (Bikol) ; butor (Isinai) ; bdbui (Bikol). 



Bikal is widely distributed in the forests of the Philippines 

 and is endemic. It is characterized not only by its habit, but 

 also by its very thick walls. Sometimes the lumen is almost 

 entirely wanting, especially in the lower parts of the stem. 

 The plant is well known to all Filipino woodsmen as a source 

 of drinking water, as water of good quality can be secured 

 from the internodes. In some parts of the Philippines this 

 bamboo is extensively used in making baskets, while it is now 

 beginning to attract attention for the purpose of making chairs, 

 for which it is adapted on account of its thick stout walls. 

 A flowering specimen is shown in Plate XXIV. The very closely 

 allied Schizostachyum dielsianum, bikal-babui, (Plate XXII) has 

 the same names, distribution, and uses as S. diffusurn, and is 

 distinguished only by minor characters. 



SCHIZOSTACHYUM LIMA (Blanco) Merr. Anos. 



Common name: anos (Tagalog). 



This endemic, erect, thin-walled bamboo is distinguished among 

 all the Philippine forms by its long internodes, which are usually 

 about one meter in length. It is sometimes called bolo and 

 bagakai by confusion with Schizostachyum lumampao. It is 

 used by the Filipinos for making blow guns, while the cortex is 

 hard and rough and can be used for polishing brass. It is 

 also used for the various purposes for which all thin-walled 

 bamboos are utilized, and after boiling, even for weaving fans, 

 cushions, and hats; broad splints prepared from it are used in 

 making the broad shallow baskets used for winnowing rice. 

 Widely distributed in the Philippines. A flowering specimen 

 is shown in Plate XXVII. 



SCHIZOSTACHYUM LUMAMPAO (Blanco) Merr. Buho or CANA-BOJO. 

 Common names: cana-bojo (Spanish-Filipino); bolo, boho, lumampdu, 

 bokdui, kaudyan-songsong* (Tagalog) ; bagdkan, bagakai (Bisaya) ; bulu, 

 bolo (Bisaya, Iloko); or as (Bikol). 



This species is endemic and widely scattered in the Philippines. 

 It is a thin-walled, erect, gregarious bamboo usually reaching 



