16 PHILIPPINE BAMBOOS 



No special economic uses are indicated for any of the forms, 

 yet like all bamboos they are more or less utilized by the Fili- 

 pinos for general purposes. They should be adapted to the same 

 special uses as the thick-walled scandent species of Schizos- 

 tachyum. The most common species is Dinochloa scandens, 

 zigzag bamboo, (Plate XVIII) which is abundant and widely 

 distributed in the central and southern Philippines ; it is charac- 

 terized by its very broad leaves and is variously known as 

 baia in Palawan, bokaue in Balabac, bukau in Basilan, usiu, 

 timak, and bolokaui in Mindoro. Most of these names are also 

 used for the scandent species of Schizostachyum. Dinochloa 

 luconiae (Plate XVI) is very similar in general character to 

 Dinochloa scandens, but has much narrower leaves, which is 

 also true of Dinochloa ciliata (Plate XIV). Dinochloa lugoniae 

 is known as baito (Tagalog) and esu (Iloko). D. pubiramea 

 (Plate XVII) is a broad leaved species similar to D. scandens 

 and distinguished chiefly by having the branches of the in- 

 florescence pubescent. Its local names are kandy (Bis.) and 

 bukao (Moro). Dinochloa elmeri (Plate XV) is a dwarfed, 

 half woody form growing in the mossy forest at the summits 

 of high mountains. 



Genus GIGANTOCHLOA Kurz 



GIGANTOCHLOA LEVIS (Blanco) Merr. Bolo. 



Common names: kawdyan-boo, kawayan-sina, kaivdyan-puti, boho (Ta- 

 galog) ; boko, bold, botong (Bisaya). 



Gigantochloa levis is a stout bamboo reaching a height of 20 

 meters or more and a culm diameter of 20 centimeters. Its 

 culms are very straight and smooth, dull green, covered with 

 siliceous pubescence, and entirely unarmed. It is found in and 

 about towns in the settled areas of the Philippines, and also 

 in the forests. The stems are used as pipes for temporary 

 water supplies, as they are usually long and straight, and for 

 building fish traps. They are, apparently, rarely employed in 

 building operations, except for walls of houses, perhaps because 

 they are not especially durable. A flowering specimen is shown 

 in Plate XIX. 



The Philippine specimens referred to Gigantochloa robusta 

 Kurz and Gigantochloa atter Kurz are not considered by Mr. E. 

 D. Merrill to be specifically distinct from G. levis. 



Genus GUADUA Kunth 

 GUADUA PHILIPPINENSIS Gamble. 



This is a rare species known only from a single collection from 

 Mindoro. The nodes are reported to be about 75 centimeters 



