''Bambusa lako'', known as Timor black bamboo, is a large species of

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...

originating from the island of

Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is East Timor–Indonesia border, divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western p ...

; its black culms may reach in height. A 2000 molecular study places it as closely related to the similar Indonesian species ''Gigantochloa atroviolacea'' , from which it was separated in 1997; it may soon be placed in that genus. ''Bambusa lako'' can only be grown in climates that are mostly frost free.

Description

''Bambusa lako'' grows to in height, with culms reaching a maximum of in diameter. The culms are initially green before maturing to a shiny black, sometimes with scattered green stripes; they grow vertically, though may droop at the top. The culms are initially covered with culm-sheaths which have dark brown-black hairs. Shoots grow rapidly in warmer weather. The branches are short and leaves long and pendulous; individual leaf-blades may reach . To date, this species has not been observed in flower.

Taxonomy

Timor black bamboo was described and separated from the Indonesian black bamboo species ''Gigantochloa atroviolacea'' by botanist Professor

Elizabeth A. Widjaja Dr. Elizabeth Anita Widjaja (born 1951) is a Senior Principal Researcher of bamboo taxonomy at the Herbarium Bogoriense, Botany Division, Biological Research Centre at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences in Bogor, Indonesia. She is especially i ...

in 1997, as its appearance (

morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines *Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts *Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...

) differed. However, only nonflowering material was observed, and the author noted the need for examining flowering material to confirm classification. This can be difficult with bamboos which can take up to 120 years to flower. A 2000 molecular study examined material from several bamboo species and concluded that the two species were very closely related and that the Timor black bamboo would be better placed in the genus '' Gigantochloa''. It had been known as ''Gigantochloa'' sp. 'Timor black'.

Distribution, habitat and cultivation

Timor black bamboo is restricted to the island of

. It has been introduced into cultivation to the United States and Australia, and is hardy to .

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4853465 lako Plants described in 1997 Garden plants Flora of the Lesser Sunda Islands