Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Bambusa vulgaris

Ko‘e Papa‘ā

Common Bamboo

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Stem and leaves	61KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Common Bamboo, Feathery Bamboo, Golden Bamboo [for 'Vittata'], Painted Bamboo [for 'Vittata'], Barcode Bamboo [for 'Vittata']

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Ko‘e Papa‘ā (RR MG MK MT), Ko‘e Tinitō (AT), Ko‘e (AK), Bamboo (PL), Kohe (MH RK), Koe (PK NS); Other Polynesian - ‘Ofe Fiti (SAM)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE India - Indonesia

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Naturalised - vegetative only; Land, lowlands - lower mountains (++)

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Ornamental leaves, Material (Wood)

KEY FEATURES: Tall bamboo, to 20m, forming extensive clumps. STEMS (=culms) green or yellow with narrow green stripes (cv. 'Vittata'); erect to 20m, internodes to 100cm, to 12cmØ with walls to 10mm; slender branches to 4m at upper nodes. SHEATH not persistent, to 30cm; covered with dark brown hairs; tip wide with two basal lobes. LEAVES (=blades) flat, linear with base round and tip sharp, to 30x4cm, midrib prominent below; stalk 5mm. FLOWERS every few decades nearby plants all flower together.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+++	+++	++	+	P		P		-

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	P	P	+	+	-

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Bambusa vulgaris Schrader ex Wendland
SYNONYMS: Leleba vulgaris (Schrader ex Wendland) Nakai

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); LILIOPSIDA (=Monocotyledones); COMMELINIDAE; Cyperales; POACEAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Pukapuka: fieldspecimen, 2/2004, G.McCormack in Motu Ko with ID as Bambusa vulgaris.

References:
p.62 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.137 Hortus 3rd
p.126 Royal Hort. Soc. Index of Garden Plants
p.509 Tropica
p.1/295 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.17 R* Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.369e Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zupB04a, zM04b, zD04a

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List