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Phyllostachys nigra henonis

Common name:	Ha-Chiku	Family:	Gramineae
Author:	(Mitford.)Stapf.	Botanical references:	11, 200
Synonyms:	Phyllostachys henonis (Mitford.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - E. and C. China, Japan.
Habitat:	Fertile and moist places, also by streams[147].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	4	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	3

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Bambusa nigra[G] Bambusa puberula[G] P. henionis[B,P] P. nigra[B,E,G,HORTIPLEX,P] P. nigra f. boryana[G] P. nigra f. muchisasa[G] P. nigra f. punctata[G] P. nigra var. henionis[B,P] P. nigra var. henonis[E,G] P. nigra var. punctata[G] P. puberula[G] P. puberula f. nigro-punctata[G] P. puberula var. boryana[G] P. puberula var. muchisasa[G] P. puberula var. nigra[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Black Bamboo [B,P], Ha-Tiku [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	nigra = black
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Cyperales. Renamed to Poaceae -- Grass family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen bamboo growing to 6m. It is hardy to zone 7. It is in leaf all year. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Wind. We rate it 4/5 for edibility and 3/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedge, Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

Stem.

Young shoots - cooked[25, 46, 105, 177]. Somewhat acrid when raw[61], they are prepared for eating by boiling in one change of water, the water being changed after 8 - 10 minutes[183]. A distinctive taste and aroma[183]. The shoots are harvested in the spring when they are about 8cm above the ground, cutting them about 5cm below soil level.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antiemetic Depurative Diuretic Expectorant Febrifuge Sedative.

The leaves are antipyretic and diuretic[218]. They are used internally in the treatment of fevers (especially infantile convulsions), vomiting and nosebleeds[176, 238]. The leave are harvested during the growing season and dried for later use[238].
The juice of the stems is antipyretic, antitussive, expectorant and sedative[147, 176, 218]. It is taken internally in the treatment of lung infections with cough and phlegm[238]. The sap is pressed from young stems in the summer and then dried for later use[238].
The epidermis of the stem bark is antiemetic and sedative[147, 176, 218]. It is used internally in the treatment of vomiting, nosebleeds, coughs etc[238]. The epidermis is collected from young stems in the summer and is dried for later use[238].
The root is astringent, antipyretic, depurative, diuretic and styptic[147, 176, 218]. It has been used in the treatment of rabies[147, 238]. A decoction is also used in the treatment of high fevers and nocturnal fretfulness in infants[147]. The roots are harvested in the winter and dried for later use[238].

We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.

Other Uses

Basketry Hedge Plant support.

The canes make good plant supports. Thin walled but durable, the canes are also used for cabinet work and for decorative panels and inlays[195].
The rhizome is used in making umbrella handles, wickerwork, canes, musical instruments and various kinds of handicrafts[25, 74].

Cultivation details

Requires a rich damp soil in a sheltered position[200] and plenty of moisture in the growing season[1].
A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to at least -7° c, but it dislikes prolonged exposure to hard frosts[200]. Another report says that it tolerates temperatures down to about -20° c[195].
A very ornamental plant[1], this is the form of P. nigra that is most commonly met in the wild. It is believed that this form is the true wild form and that the species is in fact a garden cultivar. However, since that form was the first to be named botanical etiquette demands that this form is treated taxonomically as a cultivar[195]. It is this form 'Henonis' that is used medicinally in China[176].
Plants only flower at intervals of many years. When they do come into flower most of the plants energies are directed into producing seed and consequently the plant is severely weakened. They sometimes die after flowering, but if left alone they will usually recover though they will look very poorly for a few years. If fed with artificial NPK fertilizers at this time the plants are more likely to die[122].
This is a good companion species to grow in a woodland because the plants are shallow rooted and do not compete with deep rooted trees[195].
This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[200].
The plant has a running rootstock, though not aggressively so in the cooler climate of Britain[200]. and it produces new shoots from May[25].
Dead stems can be removed at any time of the year[238]. It is also possible to thin the clumps in spring, leaving only the strongest stems and thus creating an open grove-like effect[238].
Cultivated for its edible young shoots in China[61]. This species has been widely planted for ornament in the Mediterranean and is becoming established[50].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse at about 20° c. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination usually takes place fairly quickly so long as the seed is of good quality, though it can take 3 - 6 months. Grow on in a lightly shaded place in the greenhouse until large enough to plant out. Seed is rarely available.
Division in spring as new growth commences. Divisions from the open ground do not transplant well, so will need careful treatment and nurturing under cover in pots until at least late spring[238]. Division is best carried out in wet weather and small divisions will establish better than large clumps[238]. Another report says that you can take large divisions from established clumps and transfer them straight to their permanent positions, misting or drenching them frequently until they are established[200].
Basal cane cuttings in spring.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

Latin and Worldwide Common Names From Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database by M. H. Porcher et. al. 1995 - 2000 Landcare Systems Research Laboratory, Department of Crop Production,Institute of Land and Food Resources, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Phyllostachys nigra (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[25] Lawson. Bamboos. Faber 1968
Fairly comprehensive, it was once the standard work but is now rather dated. Deals with species hardy in Britain, giving cultivation details and some uses.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[74] Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[122] ? The Plantsman. Vol. 1. 1979 - 1980. Royal Horticultural Society 1979
Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants. A good article on the flowering of bamboos.

[147] ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.

[176] Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985
A very good Chinese herbal.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[195] Farrelly. D. The Book of Bamboo Sierra Club. 1984 ISBN 0-87156-825-X
Very readable, giving lots of information on the uses of bamboos, both temperate and tropical.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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